


Death Can Go Suck It: Pt I

by zacizach



Category: RWBY
Genre: Developing Friendship, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Angst, Friendhship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Modern AU, NO ONE IS GONNA FUCKING DIE, No Semblances, This isnt your regular apocalypse au, Zombie AU, also them being stupid together, and robyn is a walking lie detector, and unless theyre like, but since none of them r dying that means theres gonna be some dark ass shit bound to happen, clover is lucky, even tho its primarly qrow's, flangst, good vibes fun times, ish?, its literally just them fucking around, like wow its a zombie apocalypse but yknow what, minor characters - Freeform, more likely than you think, no beta we die like men, pov changing like a god damn dj booth, slightly ooc? save me, strangers to allies to friends, tags will change, then yea no one aint dying in my book, theyre just vibing, this au is a magnet for angst but i promise u there will be some fluff, tho qrow is still unlucky enough, unless its explicitly said before their first physical appearance in the book, yall chp 12 broke me, yall this is my way of coping, zombie au? with no characters dying and having a good time?, zombie outbreak shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22451209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zacizach/pseuds/zacizach
Summary: Qrow needs to look for his nieces.Clover hopes his team is okay.Robyn has to get back to her wife.Three different people find themselves in the middle of the chaos also known as a zombie outbreak. With little to no chance of survival, if left alone, the three make a temporary truce to work together. Unbeknownst to them, their temporary truce wouldn't be the one that will save them from certain doom.ORA story where each chapter is a mini prompt about our trio of birds in a zombie outbreakORZombie AU where the zombie part doesnt actually happen a lot?This is intended to be fluffy and chaotic but in a zombie setting
Relationships: Qrow Branwen & Clover Ebi & Robyn Hill, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Robyn Hill/Fiona Thyme
Comments: 59
Kudos: 152





	1. The Day Our Story Began

**Author's Note:**

> yall im just vibing through the pain

A blood-curdling cry and a stab on the face, the zombie was dead within seconds. The screwdriver that was penetrated between its eyes was pulled out roughly, blood splattering everywhere. The corpse dropped on the floor, now forever lifeless. 

Robyn clicked her tongue, wiping her face with her glove where she knew the blood had hit her. It's always a pain to clean those off but she ain't complaining. Kneeling down, she began searching through the corpse's pockets, hoping that she can find something good. She felt something solid in the back pocket and yanked it out, revealing a wallet. 

"Robyn, you found anything?" 

The white-haired female tossed the wallet towards the man, having dark hair with grey strands forming. Red eyes gave her a questioning look but nonetheless opened the wallet to search through its contents. "So, nothing, huh?" 

She gave a dry laugh. "Nope. I'm assuming you didn't found anything?"

Qrow gave her a glare, placing the wallet beside the dead corpse once he was finished looking through it. "No, just my luck. The place has been ransacked before we got here. Not many zombies except for their corpses, plus the blood seemed fresh. I'm guessing they left not long before we arrived."

"Damn, that sucks. You weren't kidding when you said you're a walking bad luck charm." If Robyn caught Qrow's sour expression, she pretended not to notice and instead picked up the bag she dropped earlier. When the zombie had the jump on her earlier, one strap broke. She inspected the damage and deduced that it can still be fixed. 

"Come on, we gotta move." 

The older male wasn't given time to reply before Robyn hurriedly left the room. He grumbled some profanities under his breath but followed her out anyway.

* * *

_It was a normal day in the city._

_The sky was blue and cloudy, nothing too peculiar about it, but it was the best day to have ice cream with your favorite nieces in the nearby park._

_It was just that. A normal, peaceful day, hanging out in the park with the ones you love. Until the screams broke out._

_For a while, Qrow figured it was those normal days where a robbery happened, but it was something else. The screams became louder and more panicked. Passerbys ran by, screaming for their lives for some reason. At that point he felt both of his hands gripping onto each of his nieces', their ice creams dropped and forgotten on the grass patch._

_"Uncle Qrow? What's happening?"_

_He didn't know what was happening, so he provided no answer to his youngest niece. Instead, he only pulled them along so that they can get back to his apartment; hopefully, to where it was safer. As seconds ticked by, the screams only got worse._

_Cars began crashing into buildings and into each other, obstructing pathways for civilians to easily go through. He tugged the elder niece when she glanced at the sight of a car burning, the driver inside unconscious. Qrow only gave her a look of pity, knowing how much she wanted to help those civilians. But at that moment, his priority was to get his girls to safety._

_The girls screamed as a car suddenly rammed into the building nearby, blocking off the pathway to Qrow's apartment. A chain of reaction soon followed, and Qrow had to pull the girls into a nearby alley when cars suddenly followed the same fate and crashed into each other. He managed to bring them farther into the alley to prevent any accidents, but one of the cars somehow managed to slide across the road and block off the only entrance._

_Thankfully, Qrow knew his way around the city, and even though they would have to take a detour the time it would take to reach back to his apartment wouldn't be too long._

_Unless of course, life decides to be unfair._

_A person suddenly came out from behind a burning trash bin. Qrow didn't think too much about it, but when it suddenly lunged towards them, Qrow pushed his nieces behind him to hold the man off of him._

_White, dull eyes greeted red ones, its jaw somehow unhinged and trying to take a bite out of his face. Qrow's forearm was pushing against it's upper body, giving him enough space to look at the side, seeing their silver and purple eyes full of terror. From a distance, Qrow could see bodies littered with blood and open wounds limping towards the girls._

_He suddenly turned pale._

_"Uncle Qrow?!"_

_"Yang, get your sister out of here! Go back to the- ugh- the apart- You know where!" Qrow looked around, trying to find some sort of weapon. He turned to look at his nieces who are still frozen to the ground. "I said go! Get out! I'll catch up with you two!"_

_The older niece finally snapped out of her trance. With a hard look, she gripped her sister's arm. "Ruby, we have to go."_

_"B-But-"_

_"I'll catch up, just go, goddammit!"_

_The younger wailed as she was forcefully dragged away. It attracted the zombies nearby, but Qrow knows they're smart enough to evade them. There were a few nearby shards of broken glass from what he assumed was from a glass box. Not like he's gonna complain in the situation he was in._

_Using his hand that wasn't holding the zombie back, he reached out for the shard. It was difficult, but by some luck, his fingers caught onto the jagged piece of glass._

_Gripping the shard, Qrow swung._

* * *

"Looks like our guy has been doing some work of his own." 

They left the house they were in a few minutes ago and was checking up on the third guy of their group, who bravely declared he's gonna check the other house even though all of them were aware of the number of zombies roaming around. 

Robyn didn't care less and let him off to a suicide mission, and even though Qrow was worried and offered some assistance, he was somehow convinced by the man that he would be fine. 

And he was, apparently. There were so many corpses littered about, most of them having been stabbed straight on the head but he could tell a few were blasted by a pistol. Qrow knew it was the other's doing, so his worry diminished slightly. They walked over the dead corpses and entered the house.

"You think he cleared the place yet?"

"Think? That idiot's too good at his own game, I'll be surprised if he didn't clear the place." 

That's a broad statement, due to the fact that they've only been together for at most seven days (which is honestly quite a record). Qrow stared at her back as Robyn skimmed through the place, probably checking for any stray supplies that weren't picked up. Seeing as the place was pretty bare, she disappeared into the next room, leaving Qrow alone with his thoughts for a moment or two.

* * *

_Qrow had his back against the door, along with a few others. Despite being dead, those walking corpses somehow weigh a ton. It slowly became harder to push against the door as more zombies piled at the other side, trying to push one another to get what they want. Unbeknownst to their dead brain, this helped them gain the advantage. Qrow moved his arm away when the door was somehow pushed far enough for a stray stinky arm to slip through and try to grab the other side._

_"It's no use, man- they're gonna get through!" One of them yelled._

_"We have to give them more time to open the gate!" Qrow shouted back._

_"He's right- leaving now won't make things better. We need more time." The other replied, giving his ally a glare. "Even if we have to sacrifice our lives to do so."_

_"Jesus fuck- this is so fucked up-"_

_Qrow agreed. More arms managed to pry through the gap. He silently made a prayer in his head. Not really sure which god he was praying to but whatever god is up there, he prayed that somehow they can get out of this shit-hole alive._

_As if God answered, there was a shout from the other room._

_"IT'S OPEN! RUN!"_

_But it was too late._

_Qrow was still registering the shout when the hinges of the door broke. He screamed on impulse, jumping forward to prevent the door from squashing him. Unfortunately, the other two weren't so lucky._

_He was forced to watch the door trap his two allies underneath, their cries of help drowned out by the groans and moans of those god-forsaken zombies who reached down towards them. One of them grabbed the human arm and chomped onto the flesh, blood spraying everywhere. Screams agonizing._

_"Come on!" He was forcefully pulled upwards by someone unknown. Obediently, he followed the white-haired female through another room, seeing the gate that was cut through wide open for them to make their escape._

_She easily slipped through the hole, and Qrow followed. He only stopped half-way to turn back, seeing the zombies beginning to pile into the room he was in. His allies were silent now, and Qrow hoped they went to the after-life without trouble._

_A hand gripped onto his shoulder, causing Qrow to turn his attention back to the present. He got his other leg out of the hole and followed the female yet again. They blindly passed by the alleyway to alleyway until she stopped. It was then he realized that besides the two of them, there were only two more others, gasping for air and leaning their backs against the wall._

_This made Qrow flinch. There were ten of them. Six died._

_Two of them could've survived if it wasn't for him._

_"Never got your name." The white-haired woman said, snapping Qrow from his thoughts. Her hand was out in a handshake, gaze firm but not unwelcoming. "Robyn Hill, you are?"_

_Hesitantly, Qrow took it and gave it a single shake._

_"Qrow Branwen."_

* * *

Entering a room, both survivors were not surprised to see the brunette stabbing a zombie in the head with a small metal rod. He huffed, tossing the lifeless body away as if it's a rag doll. Turning his head, he smiled when he saw Qrow and Robyn. 

"So, got anything good?" Clover asked, wiping his hand on the military vest he still has on. The blood smeared on the dirty clothing which distracted Qrow. Robyn was the one who replied.

"Not much, Qrow guessed there was another group that got through the place first before we came. How about you? Considering our record, I'll be surprised if you didn't have anything good." 

Clover grinned. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, m'lady. No surprises here, but I think you'll like it anyway." He opened his bag, digging his hand through the contents before pulling out two boxes. He tossed them towards their direction; Robyn easily catching it with Qrow nearly dropping it. 

Ammo, exactly what they need. 

"Pretty convenient that this ammo is what we need for our guns," Qrow commented, pulling out the Glock he had kept in his back pocket. It ran out of ammo earlier, which forced him to use melee. Robyn had pulled out her own revolver, refilling her ammo. 

He caught the hazy look in her eyes. 

"Hm, I rather call that lucky. I got a few more scraps, but besides that the house is empty. Looks like this part of town had already been searched thoroughly before we came, like what Qrow said." The comment leads Clover to look at Qrow, who turned his head away. "I suggest we keep on moving, see if we can find a place to stay for the night."

"You're the boss." Sarcasm dripped from Qrow's voice. Clover didn't react much to it, instead, he gave him a smile before leaving the room. 

* * *

_The metal pipe made a cracking sound as it made an impact with the head. Qrow swung the pipe again, again, and again, not caring how much blood was being splattered everywhere. Not caring if his shirt was caked with the crimson color. Not caring if anyone saw him in such a crazed state._

_Making sure the corpse was indeed dead forever, Qrow tossed the broken pipe at the side, letting it clatter before running towards Robyn, who was leaning her back against the wall._

_"Go to the military, they say. They're gonna help us, they say." Qrow bitterly mumbled, helping the injured woman stand up by putting her arm around his shoulder. "You okay?"_

_"Peachy. Just... bruised." Robyn replied, holding onto her side. "Who would've thought a bookshelf could actually hurt."_

_He rolled his eyes, half-dragging her to the exit. As they leave the small office, the area that was supposed to be safe was in chaos. Military trucks and vehicle supplies were on fire. Walking corpses walkabout, and the screams of humans filled the grey sky. Qrow looked around, trying to find some form of exit from the entire camp._

_"Robyn, can you walk?" "I can limp fast if that's what you're asking."_

_The two survivors rushed into a direction that was free of fire and of any corpses- or so they think. Qrow didn't want to jinx himself, but eventually, they managed to find one end of the camp- barricaded by a large wall of something. Whatever it was, it was strong as a brick._

_"Can we climb up?" Qrow silently asked himself. Robyn shook her head. "Not without help. One of us has to be left behind."_

_Qrow was about to suggest helping her get over the barricade, but the terror of Robyn's eyes as she looked over his shoulder stopped him._

_"Look out!"_

_Qrow turned around, eyes wide as he came face-to-face with the white eyes of the dead. He yelled and managed to back away from its grabby hands, but he was too shocked to move any farther._

_A deafening bang made the world suddenly silent. The small groans it was making ceased, and it stared blankly into Qrow's eyes as its knees buckled beneath them, causing them to fall over, finally dead._

_Behind him stood one of the military officers, wearing what used to be a pristine white uniform now covered in dirt, ash, and blood. His gloved hand that was gripping the pistol slowly lowered, teal eyes eyeing the two survivors with worry and caution. "Are you two okay?"_

_"... You could've shot me." Qrow mumbled under his breath, still trying to calm his racing heart from moments before. "What the fuck?"_

_"I didn't." The man smiled. The bastard actually smiled. "Need any help getting out of here?"_

_"As much as I appreciate it, how do we know we can trust you?"_

_He shrugged but put his hand forward for Qrow to grab. "I guess you just have to. Clover Ebi and you two are...?"_

_Qrow glanced at Robyn, who gave him a single nod. He didn't take his hand. "Qrow Branwen. Robyn Hill." He tipped his head to the lady when he mentioned her name. "Are you gonna help us or what?"_

_Clover nodded, pulling his gun out once more. He pointed it at one of the trucks and shot the large container it had behind it. Qrow was confused with his actions, but a moment later started spouting curse words as he and the other two jumped behind one of the large boxes._

_The truck exploded. As Qrow peeked his head up from the cover, he noticed that the explosion caused the barricade to break, large enough that they can go through without being scorched alive by the burning truck._

_"You are crazy." Qrow thought out loud, following Clover as he lead the way to the opening._

_"No, just skilled." Clover winked._

_That bastard actually winked at him._

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay with taking the first watch?" Clover asked. Qrow dismissed the question with a wave of his hand, already taking his spot by the side of the broken window to have a look-out for any zombies or unfriendly people. "I can do it-"

"I know you can, golden boy. That's why I'll wake you up later so you can do the second watch." 

Clover gave him a look that Qrow can't read but gave in with a sigh. The brunette walked over to the sleeping bag he placed down by the lamp, the other sleeping bag being occupied by Robyn, fast asleep. Qrow watched the other two for a minute or so, not in a creepy way but just to make sure they're asleep. 

Soon, Clover had closed his eyes. It was quiet now. Peaceful.

Qrow snapped his head out to the open when he heard the faint sound of groaning. He realized it was most likely far away, so they were safe. For now. 

Hand reaching up to touch the lop-sided cross, Qrow looked up at the naked sky, free of stars and smoke alike. 

"Ruby... Yang... Please be safe." He whispered to himself, a wish that was carried by the breeze that swept by. "Please." 

* * *

_"You know, if we have a better chance of surviving, I think we have to stick together for the time being."_

_It was Clover who suggested that. Not surprising at the very least._

_Robyn was suspicious. Also not surprising._

_"And why would you suggest such a thing?"_

_"You two have been surviving together since the outbreak, no?"_

_Considering the fact the outbreak happened during the early afternoon and it was evening now, which makes it about seven to ten hours since the outbreak happened, Qrow would say he spent at least half of those hours being by Robyn's side for some odd reason._

_"... Fuck, I hate it that you're right." Robyn gave both of them a hard stare. "Fine, we'll make a temporary group. However, you two will not say anything if I decide to leave, capiche?"_

_"Aye aye." Clover did a salute, the smile still present on his face. "Good to be working with you."_

_"Shut the hell up."_

_Qrow could feel their gaze lingering into his soul for a minute too long. "What?" He snapped, not quite liking how they kept on looking at him._

_"Qrow, it would be an honor if you would partake in our temporary truce to survive in this hell we call a zombie outbreak. What do you say?" Clover was definitely being sarcastic, but nothing in his face screams malice in them._

_He looked over to Robyn, who looked back with an unreadable expression. This made Qrow scowl, but if he had any chance of finding his nieces, he has to survive this fucked up world first._

_"Fine, whatever doesn't get me immediately killed."_


	2. The Day We Talked About Ourselves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hI I AM NOT READY FOR THE FINALE EPISODE

Three figures vaulted over the metal fence, one of them stumbling a bit when they landed only for the other to pull them up by the shoulder. The two men glanced at each other before continuing their run, the white-haired female now taking the lead. 

Argus was a large city, but within the span of a week it's glory has been diminished to rubble and broken dreams. Qrow tried to avoid his thoughts from getting to that direction, instead, he was focusing on his surroundings for any lingering zombie that could catch and eat his head off. 

He didn't know how much time it took but eventually, Robyn managed to lead them to a stable company building that didn't seem to have much threat inside. They ended up having to hide behind the service counter for a couple of minutes, silence suffocating the air around them as they listened for the horde of zombies outside. They slowly walked by, and as much as it was annoying to wait, at least they lost their attention.

Clover was the one who peeked his head upwards to check for any signs of danger. 

"Okay, all clear." 

Qrow let out a breath he didn't know was holding, slumping against the counter behind him. Robyn gave him a funny look. "It's not over yet, Branwen," Robyn said, standing up to follow Clover.

The trio made their way through the building- having to take the stairs since the elevators broke down. They stopped at Level 5, where the entire office floor was in a state of disaster. Tables and chairs were toppled over to their sides, and papers were all over the floor. With the addition of other office supplies that Qrow does not give a crap about, the disaster left them a wide enough space for them to rest by the large paned windows. 

So that's where it began, really. Qrow watches the sky shift from orange to a dark blue while Robyn did her own stuff behind him. Clover wanted to do a final check for any zombies or even supplies and had left without any complaint from the two of them. 

"How long do you think this outbreak will last?" Robyn asked, momentarily shocking Qrow from his thoughts. 

His throat felt dry all of a sudden, and he reached out for a flask that wasn't there. Robyn had noticed the strange behavior but chose not to comment on it. Qrow was grateful for the silence as he retracted his hand close to his chest and collected his thoughts.

"I'm not sure," Qrow answered. 

Clover came back after that, carrying what looked like some sandwiches still covered in plastic. He gave them the sandwiches in silence before sitting down in his respective place, making the three of them sit in a triangle-shape. Both Robyn and Qrow stared at Clover.

"... Sorry, am I missing something?" Clover questioned with an eyebrow raised. 

"You're not eating?"

"No, there were only two left. You two need it more than me." 

Before Qrow could answer, Robyn snapped. "The fuck are you planning, Ebi? Just because we agreed to work together doesn't mean you get to act all goody-two-shoes and shit." 

Clover's smile had disappeared at that point, but his gaze never held anything more than neutral. Qrow tore open the plastic covering, his eyes eyeing between the two of them. Was he supposed to do something? 

"I simply think you two need more food. I know myself and I know I can last a lot longer. I have no ulterior motives except to ensure you survive as long as possible. Is it really bad for me to put others' needs before myself?"

The tension between the two was high now. Qrow took a bite out of his sandwich.

As the seconds ticked longer, it was unsure which one of the two will back down from their glaring competition- Well, Robyn was doing all the glaring. Clover is as neutral as ever (which kind of made him intimidating anyway). Finally, Robyn sighed and backed out. "Whatever," She mumbled. 

Clover smiled, satisfied with Robyn's reaction and settled down on the sleeping mat Qrow placed down earlier. 

Qrow looked down at his single-bitten sandwich, contemplating his life-choices, before tearing the sandwich in two. He kept the bitten half to himself and passed the other to Clover. "Here, you can have it." 

The teal-eyed brunette was surprised, and he glanced between both Qrow and the sandwich, wondering to himself if he should accept it. Qrow rolled his eyes. "I don't have that much of an appetite. So just take it." 

Gratefully, Clover's fingers held onto the sandwich. In the silence with only a lamp as their light source, the three ate. There were faint sounds of groans, no doubt from the undead outside, but otherwise not so threatening. Qrow looked between the two, who either looked as if they're thinking or stoning. 

It seems like they're not gonna sleep anytime soon. 

"So, where are you from?" Qrow managed to ask. In the back of his head, he imagined Yang and Ruby being proud of him for taking the initiative in 'socializing'. Both the other survivors' reactions weren't the same as his nieces, but he guessed they were glad that they don't have to sit in silence anymore. 

"Mantle. Born and raised." Robyn said, almost proudly. Despite the tension minutes ago, Clover was smiling at her.

"Really? So am I, though I moved to Atlas when I joined the military." 

Qrow thought he saw Robyn's eye twitch slightly at the mention of Atlas. If she had a grudge against the most richest cities in the world, he wouldn't blame her at all. He had his own problems with that very name for various reasons.

"Qrow? How about you?"

"Patch." 

The two looked surprised, though Clover was the only one between them who looked interested. "Patch, huh? Didn't take you for the guy to live in the middle of nowhere. Why are you here in Argus?" 

Qrow shrugged. "I could ask you the same question. Let's just say some stuff came up and I had to do some businesses in another country. I was temporarily living here for the time being to make things easier. Your turn." 

Clover grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes. "When the outbreak started, Atlas military was deployed to issue a safe area for citizens to go to. It's also where we were planning on having an evacuation- in fact, me and my team were one of the few that was handling the evacuation." His teal eyes darkened just a tiny bit. "I actually had my doubts about the plan, but I followed my orders anyway. When things started getting chaotic I got separated from them. My team, I mean." 

Robyn was surprisingly listening to Clover's words with sympathy in her eyes. "... I was visiting a friend of mine. Stayed in this city for two days when shit hit the fan." Her hands curled into a tight fist and Qrow wondered if she was even aware of it. "She was killed by those fucking zombies. I couldn't do anything, so I ran."

It was silent after that, the air heavy with the losses of their closed friends and families. Robyn with her friend, Clover with his time, and Qrow with his nieces. 

Well, Qrow didn't mention his nieces at all, but they didn't need to know about that. 

"You know, I'm surprised after all this time, this is when we started talking about ourselves," Clover said, his tone light-hearted to hopefully lift the mood. "Let's change the topic- Any hobbies you like to do before all this happened? I myself enjoy fishing during the summer." 

Qrow ended up giving him a weird look. Out of all the things he expected, he didn't consider Clover to be a fisherman. Maybe more of someone who's into athletics? Maybe a basketballer? He wasn't so sure anymore, but all he know is that fishing wasn't part of it. 

"... It's not so weird, is it?" 

"Coming from you, it is." 

Robyn's comeback caused the other male to give her a slight glare. Though the chuckle that leaves his lips afterward tells Qrow that Clover wasn't actually angry with her. 

"Eh, compared to him, I'm probably more pathetic. I don't really do much 'hobbies' but if it counts I actually teach during my free time." 

And yes, free-time. He's not a teacher- well, he _was_ \- but sometimes his nieces would often ask for his help regarding their academics. It was usually math and history, never the sciences (and for that he's glad). For the sake of his nieces, Qrow would endure hours and hours of one-on-one consultation with either one or both of his lovely nieces. At first, he did it just for the sake of it but eventually he started to enjoy it, and began making his teaching more memorable and even entertaining which sends his girls into a fit of giggles. 

Just the thought of it made him smile a bit, which wasn't left unnoticed by his two allies. 

"Doesn't sound pathetic if you're so happy about it," Clover commented, letting out a breathy laugh when Qrow looked embarrassed. 

Robyn managed to smile a little as well. "I've always taken a liking to archery. Whenever I have the time I would go to an archery range and just shoot to my heart's content."

"Huh, I suppose that explains why you're always a better shot than I am." 

Her lavender eyes (that oh so painfully reminded Qrow of Yang) darkened at Qrow's comment. He noticed it, but before he could voice out his concern Robyn had begun laying down on her sleeping mat. 

"I'm tired. Wake me up when it's my turn to watch over." She rolled so her back was facing the two male survivors. For minutes, it was just silent between them. Not out of tension or uncomfortableness, more like heavy with concern over their fellow ally. Qrow couldn't help but regret ever opening his mouth, but Robyn's strange response made him wonder just what Robyn has been through before the outbreak started. 

Clover was most likely thinking the same. 

"Qrow, you should get some rest, too."

"Wait- I thought I'm taking first-?" 

"Don't worry, I'll do it tonight." Clover was already standing up before Qrow could protest. He didn't really go that far, just sitting down by the large open window to have a look-out. Qrow ended up sighing, finding no strength in him to argue against the soldier before he laid down in his own sleeping bag. 

He supposed tonight could have gone worse. 


	3. The Day Laughter Was Shared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: terrible puns
> 
> chapters r somewhat short but yknow this is more of a prompt kind of book  
> and since thats the case if u have any idea as to what kind of fuckery our trio of birds will do in a zombie apocalypse then feel free to share! 
> 
> also, tysm for all the support!
> 
> ps: i want more friendship with qrow and robyn

"Clover, what are you reading?" 

The man in question looked up from the thin book he was reading, a surprised look on his face as he notices Qrow giving him a questioning look- leaning on one leg and having his hand on his hip, typical Branwen style. Before Clover could even speak, Qrow's eyes ended up eyeing the cover of the book with wide red eyes. 

"... Is that a joke book?" 

Clover's eyes went wide, and his mouth repeatedly opened and closed as if he isn't so sure what to say. He looked embarrassed, which Qrow honestly didn't think he'll see coming from Clover. Sure, he didn't expect to find Clover reading a book about jokes but him actually being embarrassed about it? Now that's a sight he won't be forgetting for a while. 

"I just happen to stumble upon it when we went to one of the apartments. It looked to be in good shape and since there's not much stuff we can do for entertainment, I thought a joke book would suffice." Clover's voice was awfully monotone to keep it from cracking, which Qrow desperately wanted to laugh at. He looks so awkward. 

"You don't have to lie, you can just say you enjoy joke books and leave it at that." 

The only female in their group had appeared beside Qrow, busy wrapping duct-tape around a magazine that was securely wrapped around her forearm. She was the one who suggested using thick magazines as a form of protection- which Qrow didn't think it was needed until he saw it in action (which, he will admit, was pretty smart). Due to the lack of magazines, all of them only have one magazine duct-taped around their non-dominant hand.

Clover's cheeks had a soft shade of red in them. Yep, he was definitely embarrassed of having been called out by Robyn.

"... Okay, fine, I admit. Being a Military Specialist doesn't leave me with a lot of free time so I usually have a joke book or two around in my apartment. It's enough to make me laugh, so..." 

Qrow sat down beside Clover, whose ocean-teal eyes widen in surprise. "Tell me a joke," Qrow said, his voice full of seriousness in it which surprised both Clover and Robyn.  
  
Slightly nervous and maybe a bit intimidated by Qrow's hard gaze, Clover randomly flipped a page onto his book and verbally said the first thing he read. 

"How is throwing a dictionary similar to birds flying south for winter? They're both flying information." 

Silence followed after that as Qrow processed the joke (which... was taking quite a long time). Clover was also processing the joke, not understanding the punchline of it. So imagine their shock when Robyn ends up the one who broke the silence by letting out soft giggles. When their attention was shifted to Robyn- who was covering her mouth with her hand- she ended up full-on laughing. 

Ever since they had a rocky start, neither Clover nor Qrow would expect to hear her laugh. Or even see her enjoy herself so much over a bird joke. Which, at that point, Clover had soon understood and was laughing alongside her. 

When Qrow got the joke, all he could do was face-palm, though the smile on his face showed his true feelings. 

"Okay, okay... What kind of TV shows do ducks watch?" Clover asked, apparently flipping to another page as they laughed.

"I don't know, what?" 

"Duckumentaries!" Much like the previous joke, this has sent both Clover and Robyn into a fit of laughter and giggles, which Qrow was left to desperately hide his smile from the others. 

Their enjoyable moment was short-lived, however, when they suddenly heard groans coming from outside the hotel room they were currently staying at. All three of them were silent, not daring to make a sound as they strained their ears to listen. There was only one set of groans, Qrow decided and guessed that there was just one zombie roaming around the hotel floors. Once the groans have vanished completely, Qrow voiced his thoughts out to them.

"That was a close one." 

The two silently nodded. Clover's lips curled into a smile.

"I guess you can say..."

"Clover-" 

"That they were DEAD-icated to finding us by themselves!"

Oh god, that was awful. So awful, Qrow actually snorted which lead to him full-on laughter. Robyn, despite her earlier reaction, was now staring at Clover with disgust. This further amplified Qrow's reaction as Robyn decided to leave the childish men by themselves and disappear into the connected bathroom. 

"D-Don't be sad." Qrow managed to say in a fit of giggles when he noticed Clover staring at the direction where Robyn had disappeared to. Clover turned his attention to Qrow, who was now trying to stop himself from laughing. 

"Robyn just didn't have the GUTS to accept its- its fu-" Qrow lost it right there and then, and had gone too far into the laughing train to continue his sentence. 

Clover only joined in when they heard Robyn groan from inside the bathroom.

* * *

Argus City was not the most expensive city in the world (Atlas took that spot) but it's still well-known for being quite large and having high productivity in its economic status (and for various other reasons that Qrow knows). Unfortunately, ever since the outbreak, everything was pretty much... gone. 

Qrow walked over to the ledge of a roof, looking down to see a handful of zombies roaming around on the streets, their minds empty and devoided of any emotion or thoughts. He could hear Clover and Robyn talking in the background and knew they were discussing where to go next. 

"The central district is practically full of those zombies. Nothing goes in or out of that area without getting bitten by them." Robyn stated when Qrow walked over to see what they were up to. There was a map between them set on the ground, being weighed down by a few of their supplies. "Though I have to admit, if we can get there, then maybe they would have an emergency generator." 

"So that we can use the communication tower located in the central district to call for help. Smart." Qrow piped in, which made Clover bring his head up momentarily before turning his attention back on the map. 

"Of _corpse_ , we have to further _flesh_ out this idea if we decide to go there." 

The pun was left undetected by the other two survivors for a while as they think of a plan. When Clover's words finally registered in Qrow's mind, he couldn't help but let out a snort that caught Robyn's attention.

"What are you laughing at, Branwen?" 

"Nothing... just realizing how _grave_ our situation is." 

It was at that moment did Robyn's eyes widen in shock as she finally caught on the smiles coming from both Clover and Qrow.

"... No." 

"Oh, come on Robyn-"

"We are supposed to be planning on our next course of action!"

"And we are! I mean, considering how _skull_ -ful we are with our guns, I doubt anything can go wrong."

Correction, Mr. I-Am-A-Lucky-Man-And-A-Bootlicker, something will definitely go wrong, but Qrow was too busy laughing his ass off when he saw how horrified Robyn looked when Clover just won't stop making puns. 

It reminded him so much of Yang and Tai it kind of hurts.

The commotion they were making caused a loud sound to be made, causing all of them to turn their heads towards the metal door which they gratefully blocked using a bunch of old furniture somehow stored up here. The door opened a tiny gap, which allowed them to hear the soft murmurs of groans coming from the zombies on the other side.

"Goddammit, Clover! Look what you _dead_!" 

"I swear to whatever fucking god you two believe in, I will beat you to death."

"You mean you'll _zombie't_ us to death?"

* * *

_Bang!_

The shot echoed in the room. With a bullet between its eyes, the zombie fell down onto the floor, blood already beginning to puddle beneath it. Qrow slightly cringed at the sight of the gorey mess in front of him. Despite the fact that he should be used to seeing so much blood by now, he finds himself feeling a bit sick in the stomach anyway. 

"You don't look so good, you holding up?" Robyn had appeared by his side, glancing at the zombie on the ground before shifting her attention to him. "Not used to ending a life, huh?"  
  
You'd be surprised. 

Qrow just shrugged in response, pocketing his gun in his back pocket. They should find more guns if they want to survive longer. 

Robyn had definitely noticed something off about Qrow, but was there anything that she can do? Qrow was gonna turn to find Clover until her voice stopped him.

"Qrow?"

He turned. Red meets purple. 

"... What is a crow's favorite drink?" 

A questioning look.

"Caw-fee."

He had to admit, that was pretty good. It didn't make him laugh, but it did make him chuckle a tiny bit with a small smile on his face. It was probably Robyn's delivery that made the punchline more boring, but it was still enough that it lifted his mood.

It was still enough that all Qrow could think about was a certain blonde teenager making her younger sister groan due to her never-ending puns.

* * *

That night, Qrow was the one who fell asleep first. 

Robyn and Clover stayed awake, just silently watching their ally rest with a calm expression on his face. 

The military specialist was supposed to be sleeping since it was Robyn's turn to take first watch, but he couldn't find himself to sleep just yet. Robyn didn't question anything when he sat beside her by the open window to join her on the look-out. 

There were no words exchanged. The air around them didn't feel so uncomfortable and tensed compared to their first few nights together. Both were actually grateful for the silence. It just makes it easier for them to believe that everything is actually okay.

"Ebi." 

Clover hummed in reply.

"Do you know why you should never iron four-leaf clovers?"

He was already smiling. "Why?"

"Because you don't want to press your luck." 

Clover softly laughed. The joke was good, it was the first time he heard something like that with his name. It's smart. 

"Oh, you are Robyn me off my pun game, Ms. Hill." Clover laughed once more when all he got as a reply was Robyn's fist on his shoulder. 

"Shut up and go to sleep."


	4. The Day We Robbed A Store

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, not really

After about a week and a half of surviving together, it was Qrow who finally suggested they get some new clothes. 

None of them wore anything that prepared them for the outbreak. Robyn had always worn a shirt over a long-sleeve ever since they met and Qrow had been wearing his favorite button-up (it was supposed to be a nice day with his nieces, after all). Clover had the worst of it since he was still wearing his military outfit which Qrow swore was personally tailored to fit Clover. 

Like, seriously, who the fuck shows off their biceps in the military? And why is it white? Fucking Atlas Military.

Needless to say, they need some new outfits. Especially Clover. 

Since Qrow was the only one who lived in Argus, he ended up leading most of the way to a clothing store which he knows has some good options- and hopefully not entirely broken down since the outbreak started. They had to turn a couple of times and had to take detours here and there to avoid large groups of zombies. 

"I don't see why we can't just go to any clothing store and change from there," Robyn grumbled. "Is this trip really necessary?"

"Don't worry about it." Qrow waved a dismissive hand towards her direction, which only made Robyn more infuriated. "There are way more options in the store. Plus, comfier, lasts longer and has styles that you may like. They also have a bunch of options for winter wear and stuff so we better pick up some jackets while we're there. Especially you, Clover."

Clover only laughed, but he knew he's right.

Finally, they reached a three-story building with a large sign that was... unreadable and broken down. Robyn and Clover weren't able to ask for the name until Qrow walked up to the double set of doors. He let out a frustrated huff when the doors wouldn't budge. 

"Shit, I hope this doesn't attract any zombies..." Qrow mumbled to himself, looking around the area before eventually finding a rock in the size of his fist. Picking it up, he threw it towards the glass panes, making it shatter upon impact.

Qrow walked back to the doors and put his arm through the gap, reaching over to unlock the doors from the inside. 

"... This is illegal." Clover managed to say as he watched Qrow quite literally break and enter the store. Robyn hid her laughter.

Much to their surprise (or perhaps, luck), the inside of the store has been more or less saved by the brunt of the outbreak. Besides a few clothes strewn about and maybe a handful or more racks all over the place, it seemed pretty much intact or left abandoned. The electricity got cut off, no surprises there, so the entire place was only dependent on the windows to provide light.

Still, that's why they have flashlights for a reason.

Robyn and Clover turned on the flashlights connected to the straps of their bags- Qrow having to shake the damn thing a few times for it to flicker to life. 

"This place seems empty but keep your guard up for any surprises- from both zombies and unfriendly people." Clover reminded, his voice edging towards having authority. Qrow rolled his eyes at the tone but said nothing as he disappeared into a set of racks. 

"The second floor is for women clothing." 

Robyn mumbled her thanks, already walking up the stairs.

Between the remaining two, Qrow looked like he already knew what to change into. Clover, however, was a bit lost. It was due to him being a 'Military Specialist' or whatever he called himself, not having much free time so he didn't own much casual clothing.

It made him feel pity for the teal-eyed survivor.

Not much time has passed until Qrow finally found a darkish grey button-up shirt that feels slightly fuzzy to the touch. It has some white floral patterns at the front and at the sleeves, which he finds is a nice detail. In another rack, he found a shirt that is of a lighter shade of grey to accompany it. A flash of crimson red caught his eye, and Qrow kneeled down to pick up a red hoodie. Slightly worn-out but otherwise new, he decided to bring it with him. For some good measure, he also got some new jeans.

Qrow quickly changed out of his blood-stained clothes and into the new garments, finally glad he doesn't have to smell the lingering smell of blood and guts. Even though he knew his new clothes will get stained within the next week or so, just finally being able to change makes him feel better.

Leaving the changing rooms, he noticed Clover still looking like a lost puppy. The red-eyed survivor sighed to himself and walked over to him.

"You literally look so lost I can't help but laugh," Qrow said, causing Clover to turn his head towards him. Clover only shrugged, and that's when Qrow noticed the other was actually holding onto a forest green shirt. At least he managed to find something. "You need any help?"

"What are you, a fashion expert?" Clover chuckled but afterward nodded anyway. "I'm normally not so picky but I just... can't seem to find any that I like." 

Qrow took the shirt from Clover's hand without much resistance from him. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the design at the front- a white four-leaf clover printed at the left breast-pocket with a circle around it. Simple and corny. 

"I think your problem is there's too much to choose from, thus you don't really know what to take," Qrow said, passing the shirt back to Clover. "I suggest not going too far- this is an apocalypse after all, not a fashion show."

Clover still looked lost, making Qrow groan loudly. "Fine, fine, give me a moment..." 

It didn't take him long to find a jacket that just screams 'Military Man' while still having a bit of casualness in it. He found a dark-brown letterman jacket with white accents to it. The letter 'C' was stitched at the left side of the pocket in white, and Qrow resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the design before walking back to Clover. 

Dark-colored cargo pants had somehow been added to Clover's small pile of clothes when Qrow returned, who carelessly tossed the jacket towards his direction. Clover easily caught it with one hand, giving his ally a questioning glance when he saw the design. Qrow only shrugged. 

As Clover went to the changing rooms, Qrow walked towards the entrance and peered out through the window. No zombies or unfriendlies, so they were safe for now. He wondered if there were any other survivors besides the three of them. Less than two weeks and the outbreak plagued the entire city. Who knew it would cause such a violent chain of reaction to make the entire half of the citizens to turn? 

Qrow's fingers twitch and he resisted the urge to reach into his pocket where he knew he wouldn't find the flask. It was a gift, but he had to throw it away. For his sake. 

"Are you two done?" 

Robyn's voice brought him out of his thoughts. His flashlight pointed to the staircase, where he sees Robyn flinching away from the sudden light.

She changed into a purple flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a hint of redshirt poking out from where it was unbuttoned. A greyish-blue hoodie was tied around her waist, and he could see the hood was actually in a greenish tan color. 

"Qrow!"

"Sorry, sorry."

Robyn sighed, rubbing her poor eyes before walking down the remaining steps. "Where the heck did Ebi go?"

"Changing. Poor guy was in the military for so long he didn't know what to wear." 

She was amused. "Do you think we need extra clothes?" 

"... Doubt so. Takes too much space and besides, not many washing machines are working. So don't bother cleaning it." 

Clover was somehow taking a long time to change, which only made the other two restless. 

"So, this store..." Robyn began. Qrow frowned, already knowing what she was gonna ask. 

"To be honest, I was kind of hoping to see an old friend of mine alive here," Qrow admitted, his arms crossed. "He doesn't own the place but he works here. And quite frankly, he owes me a debt. Two birds, one stone, basically."

"That's a funny thought, considering our names." 

Qrow scoffed, a small smile on his face. "Yea. I suppose."

Awkward silence. Great. 

"Have you ever had to run from the police?" Robyn suddenly asked. 

He slowly nodded. "When I was younger, yea. My friends and I would get all kinds of shit together during our high school years, which usually ends up us running away from the police a handful of times. It was great. Now, why would you ask that, Robyn?"

Robyn crossed her arms across her chest. "... Just wondering. I myself had to run away from the police but y'know what? We've been surviving for around two weeks now and I only realized just how weird it is that there are two delinquents and one military guy. Kind of a bit of a clash, right? Ebi is fine, but..." 

There is something going on with Robyn's head, and Qrow can make no sense of it. It was strangely odd, considering his line of work where gaining intellect was part of his job description. Heck, he could brag and say he's good at that kind of shit, but right now Robyn's face was unreadable. 

"No need to worry about Clover. I doubt he'll arrest us considering the situation we're in." 

Robyn was only silent, which faltered Qrow's good mood. 

"Hey, Robyn, wanna mess with Clover when he comes out?"

This caught her attention. "What do you have in mind?" 

"Who has an idea?"

Clover, lo and behold, finally came out of the changing rooms. Qrow couldn't help but slightly stare. Even with the jacket, it didn't hide how toned his arms were, and a part of him hates himself for that. 

"Me. Tag." 

Qrow tapped on Clover's shoulder before dashing upstairs. Confused and shocked, Clover looked at Robyn in hopes she could help with his confusion but before he could even speak, the white-haired survivor had followed Qrow's footsteps with a small yelp of her own, as if trying to evade Clover. 

"What's happening?!"

"Cops and robbers! You're the cop and we're the robbers and you have to find and arrest us!" Qrow explained the rules from where he was on top of the staircase, a glint of mischievousness in his eyes. Even Robyn looked competitive as she quickly caught on Qrow's plan. "You game, Ebi?" 

"... Is it really neces- And they're gone, never mind." Clover ran a hand through his hair, feeling how sweaty he was as he processed what happened just moments ago. Qrow and Robyn were clearly talking about something important, right? He could hear them faintly while he was changing. 

Seeing as there's no other way but to play their game, Clover couldn't help but laugh to himself.

* * *

Like a predator hunting for its prey, Clover slowly trudged through the second floor. His training in this particular scenario was replaying in his mind, and although the scenario wasn't meant for a game of 'Cops and Robbers', whatever that means, it still feels like he's hunting down the criminals. 

He strained his ears, eyes out for any sudden movements with his flashlight as his only light source. It's smart that Qrow and Robyn aren't using their flashlights- not like he was expecting them to make his life easier. 

A soft heel clicking on the hardwood floor. Clover whirled around and pointed his flashlight in between the space of two racks, barely catching the crimson hoodie that disappeared out of his sight. He smirked to himself, quite impressed that both his fellow survivors are actually good at sneaking around. 

A vase dropped behind him, but he did not move. 

Let the show begin.

* * *

Robyn nearly let a breath out as Clover's flashlight cut off, making the entire room fall into darkness. Of course, with the windows, it wasn't pitch-black, but it's still dark enough that she could barely see anything except for what's in front of her. 

She wanted to give Qrow a chance to disappear and broke the vase to distract Clover. He didn't turn like she expected, but honestly what was she even expecting? It's Clover fucking Ebi, golden boy scout and apparently very lucky. Not only that, but he has skills of his own which increased their chances of survival.

Silently cursing herself, Robyn began sneaking through the many racks, hoping her steps were quiet enough. She stopped and pressed her hand against the hardwood floor, realizing that she could feel the vibrations. She widened her eyes when the vibration suddenly grew stronger and managed to jump out of the way just as Clover appeared at the other side of the rack, his hand outstretched towards her as if trying to catch her. 

"Fuck!" She swore loudly, knowing that her cover has been blown and she needs to run and hide. The thought of it actually scared her, which fuelled her adrenalin as she dodged through the racks with Clover hot on her heel. 

By some luck, the moment she reached the stairwell to the third floor, the foundation from the ceiling fell down, causing Clover to stop in order to save himself. She used the distraction she needed to run up the stairs, disappearing out of sight. 

* * *

Qrow, honestly speaking, though he was fucked when Clover had pointed his flashlight towards his direction. He thought he was more fucked when Clover decided not to use his flashlight anymore to play their game. It gives off a bit of a horror vibe and with the chaos happening outside, it only added on to the tension. 

When he heard the vase broke, he thought it was his bad luck biting him in the ass but then realizing later that it was Robyn when he peeked through some gaps on the racks and saw Clover creeping up on the other side of the room, probably towards Robyn. Almost desperate to save her for some reason, Qrow was looking around to find a way to distract Clover.

Her scream shocked him, and he watched as the two began a rat chase through the spaces between the clothing racks, Robyn expertly turning and dodging in hopes of slowing 'the cop' down. Qrow caught a small little trinket on the floor and picked it up. 

Looking up, he saw some old looking foundation that could break. He eyed a specific spot for a moment or two and flung the trinket towards that direction.

It was lucky of him that no one noticed the trinket crashing down on the floor for both of them were busy dodging the fall of the foundation. 

A tiny part of him, probably his logical side, questioned why the fuck would he risk the safety of both of his allies just so Robyn could escape? To answer that, like everything else in his life, he doesn't know. 

All he knows is that Qrow is completely fucked when Clover decided to stay on the same floor as him. 

"I know you're here, Qrow." 

No shit, Ebi???

"As much as I love to play your game, I think it's time to surrender, yea?"

Oh god, why does he sound so threatening and hot?

Qrow practically crawled through the floor, barely lifting his foot in order to prevent his shoes from making any noise against the wooden floor. Clover had disappeared from where he was, leaving Qrow to try and calm his racing heart.

This is fine. It's not his first rodeo, it won't be his last. 

"Found you."

Qrow let out a grunt as he felt Clover suddenly pushing him on the ground, his arms behind him with his wrists pressed firmly against his back, locking him in place. Clover was on top of him and he could feel his knee pressing into his lower back, probably in a way, trapping him.

"Qrow Branwen, you're under arrest." There was a hint of smugness in Clover's voice. There was no evidence of having authority in his tone, just plain childish and even a bit teasing. Qrow rolled his eyes (for like the umpteenth time now) and tried to wiggle free. 

"Alright, alright, you win. Can you get off me?"

"Hmm... I gotta find a way to handcuff you-"

"I am literally joking about the cops and robbers thing???"

Laughter spilled from the other's lips as he gave mercy and stood up. Qrow turned so that his back was on the ground, and saw Clover's offered hand stretched towards him. Without hesitation, he took it and let the other man pull him up. 

"So, since you're practically in custody, does it mean I win the game or do I have to chase Robyn, too?" 

"Eh, let her off. Be merciful." 

Clover chuckled.

Robyn's voice caused them to look towards the stairwell in reflex. "Hey, Qrow! I found something that you should probably see!"

Both men gave each other questioning looks before running up the stairs.

* * *

Robyn was seen inspecting a large crate hidden between planks. When Qrow saw his own initials engraved on the surface, he immediately knew what it was and rushed to sit by her. 

"Your debt?" Robyn asked, which Qrow furiously nodded as he searched the surface, his hands finding the padlock within seconds. His mind went slack as he saw the three-number combination, realizing that being so out of touch with his old friend, he forgot what the password was. 

Making a lucky guess, Qrow adjusted it to 3-0-3.

The padlock opened with a click, and Qrow let out a sigh of relief as he pushed open the crate. The gasps from Robyn and Clover made him feel smug as he looked through the contents. 

"Qrow, what did you do that caused your old friend to give you this kind of debt?" Robyn questioned, awe in her voice as she pulled out what she sees is a crossbow. "Just- what kind of life are you living if you're not a teacher?"

Qrow shrugged, a smile still on his face as he picked up a shotgun, already locked and loaded. "A story for another time, Robyn." 

Inside the crate was a handful of weaponry and ammunition. Robyn seemed much more interested in the crossbow and had already taken the arrows, while Clover still stood over them, probably unsure if he should take one. Or if he's even allowed to.

"What are you standing around for, shamrock?" Qrow asked, a tiny hint of teasing in his voice as he picked up a pistol- a 9mm at that, and passed it to Clover who took it without a word. 

Clover didn't say anything. He seemed hesitant, but he replaced his old gun with the new one. Quietly, the other two looted the crate and not long after that did they decide to finally leave the place. 

Outside, there were only a few zombies walking around who hasn't noticed them yet. Robyn pointed the crossbow at the nearest zombie and fired, the arrow sailing through the air before striking its target right in between its eyes. 

"It's getting late," Qrow said, noticing the sky above was turning orange as dusk settles. "I feel like we should really try finding a temporary base. 

"A sense of familiarity will likely be good for us." Clover agreed. "For now, let's just find a place to rest for the night." 

"... You know what I just realized now that I look at this building?"

Qrow turned to see Robyn looking at the store they were in- well, more like the double set of doors that he broke earlier. 

"We kind of robbed the store." 

"... I mean, Qrow did just break and enter a perfectly safe store-"

"HEY! Don't put the blame on me!"


	5. The Day Qrow Was Unlucky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so uh remember when i said this was intended to be fluffy and shit?  
> yea haha uh  
> fuck

At the beginning of their 'truce' (or whatever the heck they called that), Qrow had immediately told them that he was unlucky; a literal embodiment of bad luck charm. Of course, Robyn didn't care much for she just wanted to survive while Clover, practically being the most optimistic one out of all of them, only reassured Qrow that he was alright and shouldn't bring himself down so much. 

Other than that, both believed that Qrow was just exaggerating. 

It wasn't so serious at first, but if they actually took a step back and recalled every single action Qrow has done up until their third week of surviving, all of the little mishaps that happened somewhat began to make sense. 

His flashlight often flickered before working, random debris falling down right where Qrow should be if it weren't for either Clover pulling him away or his reflexes, Qrow randomly tripping onto ledges or potholes that he swore wasn't there before... just little things that didn't really matter at the time.

And in a way, it still didn't matter, because they got used to it. 

But the underlining of the entire situation is; Qrow's unlucky. A bad luck charm. And as time goes by, those little things end up getting into poor Qrow's head. 

Robyn's offhand remark about him being a 'bad luck charm' and Clover somehow being the luckiest of them is taking a toll on Qrow's esteem and overall confidence in himself. 

It was only a matter of time until they caught on.

* * *

"Qrow, where did you get that cut?" 

Robyn's voice pulled Qrow out from his empty thoughts, head brought up to eye the white-haired survivor who had her hands on her hip, her face scrunched up with confusion and even a bit of concern. Unfortunately for her, Qrow's head was still in a daze as it took him a minute or two to process her question. Eventually, once her words finally got through his head, Qrow looked down at his left hand, finally noticing a huge cut going across the skin. 

It was still red and not even clotted as he saw the blood still oozing out. This was recent, definitely way recent, but when? Qrow doesn't even remember cutting himself.

"Well, that's unfortunate." 

"Unfortu- ugh, you and your bad luck jokes..." Robyn grumbled to herself but reached over a bag to grab something. She pulled out a mini first aid kit and got the supplies she needed to take care of Qrow's hand; much to his dismay. 

"You don't have to- I'm fine, Robyn, really." 

"Tell me that when you don't have a knife in your hand."

The combat knife Qrow was uncharacteristically gripping tightly clattered on the ground. His right hand was shaking, and Qrow used his left hand to grip his wrist. He managed to calm himself down by the time Robyn had settled in front of him and began cleaning his cut.

It wasn't so deep, but considering the fact that they are in an apocalypse and having limited supplies would mean being vulnerable to diseases and other examples that Qrow doesn't give a shit about... Yea, having his skin exposed like that isn't gonna do good for his already damaged body. 

"How the hell did you even cut yourself?" Robyn softly asked, the volume shocking Qrow into silence. He couldn't find himself to reply for he doesn't know how to answer that. He didn't want to lie to her either, but what else can he say? Robyn's expecting an answer that he can't give. 

"I didn't get much rest." Qrow eventually replied, which isn't really a lie so to speak. He really didn't get enough sleep- he was too busy turning and too busy self-loathing to sleep until Clover 'woke him up' to tell him it was his turn to take shift.

Robyn stopped turning the bandage around his hand, giving him a look that made Qrow freeze upon her gaze. Seconds passed until she continued what she was doing as if nothing happened. Finally, she hooked the bandage together so that it would stay in place. Qrow flexed his fingers, finding the restriction slightly odd but not entirely a bad thing. 

"There, now don't keep hurting yourself. God knows how many supplies we still have left..." The comment at the end was meant for Robyn herself alone. Even though her voice was below a whisper, it was still loud as if it echoed in the room and into Qrow's brain like a broken recorder. He repeated those words a few times, Robyn's worried tone shifting into something leaning towards annoyance in his head. 

You're doing it again, Qrow. Stop it. 

But he can't. He can never stop it because they're right. They always were.

* * *

A loud thud resonated in the abandoned apartment complex. Clover's heart skipped a bit as he heard Qrow's faint groan and immediately thought of a handful of worst-case scenarios. Don't get him wrong, Qrow is capable on his own and is very skilled in stabbing dead creatures on the head, but his soul couldn't take the thought of something bad happening to him. 

"Qrow? Are you okay?" 

"Mmmmnggg..." 

Qrow was found in the kitchen, his entire body on the floor face-down. Clover stared at his unmoving body for a moment or two, unsure whether he should do something or actually leave him there to do whatever he pleased.

"... Do you need help?" 

Unsurprisingly, Qrow dismissed his question with a wave of his hand. Clover stared at the bandaged hand as it waved back and forth, and only managed to snap out of it when Qrow finally pushed himself off the ground, a hand immediately coming up to touch his nose before pulling it away with a wince. 

"Shit..." Indeed, it was shit. Whatever Qrow did that ended up causing him to be on the ground, he apparently fell on his face. His nose was sporting a bruise, alongside his chin (which was slightly bleeding) and even the corner of his lips. Clover reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of band-aids he had scavenged a few hours prior. 

"Clover, I don't need those," Qrow said, turning his head away when Clover reached over to inspect the bruises further. Of course, they're not actually bad, but Clover knows that this is better than nothing. They don't have any ice-packs to help swell the pain. 

"I beg to differ. According to research placing band-aids on areas where it hurts helps to reduce the pain and also helps the user calm down faster."

"... I'm pretty sure that only applies to kids."

Clover only smiled and was grateful that Qrow didn't resist when he gently placed the band-aids over the areas where it's starting to bruise purple and bleed red. 

"Lucky that I got these band-aids, huh?" It was supposed to be said as a joke, but as Clover looked over, he noticed something glazing over the other's eyes. A dark shadow, storming violently behind red orbs. Distant. Lost in thought. 

It wouldn't be the first time Qrow would look this way- Clover's too observant for that. There's something bothering Qrow, and it has something to do with his earlier comment. 

Before he could ask, though, Qrow had scrambled to get on his feet before leaving Clover alone.

* * *

It got worse after that. 

No matter where or when, something inconvenient would happen to Qrow that would either slow the group down or make them frustrated (well, make Robyn more frustrated).

Qrow had already tripped or accidentally hit something at least twenty times by now. Half of which spared him a bruise due to Clover's fast reflexes (or lucky catches), but the other half weren't so nice. Within the next five hours, Qrow's face was covered in small band-aids that Clover somehow still has. His arms were even covered in cuts and bruises, mostly when he used it to cushion his fall when he would trip over a fucking brick. 

Those little inconveniences did nothing to calm Robyn down, and Clover was left to tend to Qrow's bruises as she stalked off somewhere to cool off. 

Besides those little inconveniences, there were also instances where... it was just plain terrible, really. 

Whenever they would turn a corner, a large group of zombies would greet them, blocking their path to where they wanted to go next. Which means, they had to do a lot of detours and turns. Which also means time was wasted more.

Which also means, daylight's running low fast. 

"Looks like we have to find another place to stay for the night," Clover stated, watching Robyn furiously pull out an arrow from a zombie's head with neutral teal eyes. "Qrow had mentioned a building not far where there's a basement that's still useable with an entrance that we can use through an alley."

"Great, thanks." Robyn's reply was full of sarcasm- though the reason behind it was left unknown. Qrow didn't take the unknown lightly and felt his shoulders deflate. He thought he was doing well with them- but now as more than two weeks past, it was clear that his track record of being unlucky was taking a toll on them. 

(Though he didn't consider to see that Clover was still unaffected while Robyn is just stressed)

The silence that followed after that was uncomfortable and tensed- or that's what it felt like to Qrow. They were all tired from fighting zombies and running away from them. Taking a break is what they all needed, but first, they got to go somewhere safe. 

They entered an alleyway, not much different than the others except there was a door at the side of a building. Qrow didn't expect much, but he still felt the need to sigh when he turned the knob to realize that it was locked. Go figured.

"Let me." Qrow walked back to give Robyn space, who had kneeled down and had grabbed a hair clip from her mess of white hair. She began lock-picking, making Qrow impressed with her skill and Clover wonder why she would know how to do such things. 

The lock made a 'click' sound. Satisfied, Robyn pushed the door open to be greeted by the sight of a zombie's face, mouth wide open as it snarled upon seeing Robyn's human flesh.

"ROBYN!" Clover acted fast and pulled a dumbstruck Robyn away from the zombie. He pressed the barrel of his gun against the temple and pulled the trigger. The sound it made was like a direct hit on the head with a hammer, it made Qrow wince in pain as a sudden migraine reached his brain.

His ears were ringing despite the fact that it wasn't his first time using the gun, so by right he should be used to it. He failed to register how foggy his mind became or how blurry his eye-sight was. Qrow failed to realize he was already falling onto the ground as exhaustion finally took his body.

Clover and Robyn were yelling his name. Groans heard somewhere in the background.

* * *

Qrow woke up in cold sweat, gasping for air as he felt his lower half being weighed down by an unfamiliar sensation. 

"Qrow! Qrow, hey... Calm down, it's just a nightmare."

A hand found it's way to Qrow's shoulder, making the man flinch hard under the touch. It only took him a minute afterward to realize it was Clover by his side, his hand now retracting as he watched Qrow's behavior almost wearily.

Once Qrow finally remembered where he was and who was with him, his tense shoulders finally relaxed a tiny bit. He calmed himself down through breathing exercises his old friend taught him, all the while ignoring the worried gaze Clover was giving him.

He heard a door opening and involuntarily looked up, finding Robyn standing in the doorway with a bottle in her hand. A look of surprise washed over her features, but it returned to her normally neutral gaze as she walked over to where he was laying down on the mattress.

"Is your head still hurting?"

Qrow opened his mouth to reply but found that his throat was too dry and uncomfortable. He opted to just shake his head no.

"Liar. Here, take this. Shamrock, you're not saliva-conscious are you?" 

Clover softly laughed that didn't sound so happy. He picked up a water bottle from his side, shaking it slightly as Robyn took her place beside him. Qrow suddenly felt trap. 

"Come on, Branwen. You need this." 

Not even knowing what it was, Qrow took the two pills from Robyn's palm and tossed it in his mouth, swallowing it dry. He winced as he forced it down his throat, and gave a soft glare to Clover when he offered him his water bottle. He refused. 

"Alright, I'm done, anything else? Can I please go back to sleep now?" Qrow was annoyed, though it was mainly due to the fact that he literally just woke up from a nightmare he did not even remember the contents of. He wasn't always a morning person- the others know this, so why can't they just leave him alone? 

Clover's teal eyes didn't shine as they used to before. He almost looked sad. "Qrow... There is something we would like to talk to you about, concerning today."

He paused and spared a glance to Robyn, and the two silently communicated with one another through eye gestures that all the more made Qrow furious and exhausted. Though he kept his mouth shut this time, not having the energy to snap and just wanting to get this over with. 

"Alright," Robyn began, sighing. "Shamrock here and I noticed that you've been straining yourself today. Not only that, but you kept on getting yourself hurt which would've been mistaken for clumsiness but let's be honest, who the hell trips on their own feet more than twenty times within three hours?" Clover had nudged Robyn after she said that, giving her yet another eye gesture which closely resembles to 'What the hell?'. Robyn only gave him a hard gaze as a reply before continuing her sentence. 

"What I'm trying to say is... we're worried about you. Something isn't right with you."

Qrow was about to interject but Clover had already begun speaking as if purposely cutting Qrow off from denying Robyn's statement. 

"We may not have begun our companionship on the right foot, but we have survived together for quite some time. And during those times, I believe it gives us the right to worry about our companion's wellbeing. So please, Qrow, if there's anything bothering you, you can tell us." Clover almost looked desperate. At the corner of his eyes, Qrow saw Clover's hand reaching towards him but before he could even lift it half-way, he paused before placing it back on his lap. 

Qrow's eyes switched from Robyn to Clover's, trying to find any underlying meaning of their worry. Trying to see if there's anything more than what they're saying. Trying to figure out if they have any motives behind their actions. But all he found was genuine worry for him. 

It fueled the fire in him. 

"I already told you, I'm fine," Qrow said through clenched teeth, both his hands gripping onto what he realized was a dark green blanket. His fingernails dug into the rough fabric as he slowly let out the next string of words. "You shouldn't waste your energy on a guy like me." 

"Qrow-"

"No. I mean it. The only reason why I agreed to join your group is so that I don't die. There's a reason why I don't mix well with people, and right now you two pestering me like a god damn baby isn't helping the entire situation. Let me cool off on my own, for fuck's sake..."

It wasn't a surprise that Clover bore no emotion on his face, his lips in a thin line as the specialist most likely forced himself to look neutral, but Qrow knew better. He knew his words were a harsh slap on the man's face, but it was the truth. And oftentimes the truth isn't pretty. 

What became a surprise is when Robyn ended up scoffing as if she wanted to laugh. 

"Yea, no. You're not telling the whole truth, Qrow. So don't dodge the question and answer honestly; what the hell is on your mind?" 

You should not be asking that question, Hill. But to answer? Guilt from the loss of his dearest friend, watching his high school best friend lose the light in his eyes because his wife who happens to be his fucking twin decides leaving is better than caring for her own daughter. Oh, not to mention that Yang and Ruby, who he was supposed to protect, is currently somewhere out in this chaos because he isn't even capable of doing just that. 

He didn't say those, though. He couldn't. But there was one thing he did say. 

"People get hurt because of me." 

This confused Clover and Robyn, the dumbfounded looks on their faces being evidence of such emotion. Qrow only chuckled sadly, his grip on the blanket loosening as the darkest part of his mind began to overtake his logic and senses.

"Everywhere I go, something unfortunate will always happen, one way or another. Everyone I get close to will get hurt no matter what." Qrow's voice cracked, showing his vulnerability to people he only met. "It happened before, it will happen again."

"Qrow..."

"I already told you guys, I'm a bad luck charm." Qrow tried to laugh but it only broke into pathetic whimpers as the statement finally lodged into his brain. Qrow never liked lying to himself or to others, even if it has its benefits. Because he knew that lying hurts more than the harsh truth, but even so it still hurts. It hurts because he knows it's the truth and nothing else. And as that statement replayed in his head over and over again, Qrow managed to let out the remaining thought he has left.

"That's all I am, really..." 

It was silent between the three of them, suffocating in the tensed air as both Clover and Robyn were at a loss of words. Robyn's eyes were cast somewhere else, but Qrow could see her eyebrows scrunched up in thought as she processed the words that spilled out of his mouth. Clover was staring at him with his teal eyes, his mouth slightly opened but not saying anything. He was shocked, maybe even upset. 

That almost made Qrow laugh, because that's what he does best. Making people upset even if he doesn't mean to because he's just that much of a prick. He can already imagine the anger that would flare in Robyn's eyes as she decides to leave- and maybe even Clover himself. Maybe both will decide that it's best if Qrow leaves instead, which he won't blame them if they decide to go in that direction.

Though he has to admit, he did find himself getting close to them as each day passed. It would be unfortunate that their short alliance would end, but Qrow wouldn't complain or fight back. He knows this is for the best. 

The others don't agree. 

"You're more than what you think, Qrow." It was Clover who snapped Qrow out from his negative thoughts. His eyes that used to be unreadably emotionless was now raging with determination. "You're more than what other people may think of you. Call yourself a bad luck charm, but dear the gods above it don't let it be the one that defines you as a person."

The sudden shift in tone shocked Qrow, and he sputtered as he tried to think. Unfortunately for him, Clover was on a roll and certainly insistent on curbing Qrow's negativity into a burning trash bin. 

"You say you've only joined us just so you can survive; that's fine. Because that is the reason why we decided to partner up, but certainly you can't deny that this past couple of days of survival, we actually made good memories?"

The first time they opened up to one another, the never-ending puns, that trip to the clothing store which gave them a higher chance of survival... Qrow didn't want to believe that those moments were worthy of something. 

"Not everyone is gonna be perfect, Birdie," Robyn said, placing a hand on his shoulder. This time, he did not flinch. "No one is perfect," She glanced at Clover, "Even if it seems like it. So yea, misfortunate is gonna follow you around like a lost puppy, but it doesn't define you as a person."

Clover nodded. "It doesn't make up your personality or what you are. But you know what matters more? How you treat others, and how others see you."

* * *

_"Uncle Qrooooooow!!! It's so good to see you!!!"_

_"Uncle Qrow? Do you know where mom is?"_

_"Qrow?! What happened- where is she?!"_

_"You've betrayed your own family, brother."_

_"Hey, Qrow? You're more than just a bad luck charm... Remember that, okay?"_

* * *

Qrow didn't cry, he wouldn't let himself. 

But he did let a pair of strong arms pull him into an embrace, his cheek resting against Clover's chest where his heartbeat is. The faint sound of his heart reminded Qrow that he was still there, that he's still breathing, that he still has people around him willing to be by his side. 

Clover soothingly rubbed his back. Even though he can't see, he could tell Robyn was still there, sitting quietly. 

They were all pretty quiet, the only sound there is is the small huffs of breath coming from Qrow as he calms himself down. Feeling the warmth of Clover and the soft humming in the background (which he realized, later on, was actually from Robyn), it didn't take long for Qrow to feel like sleeping yet again. 

So as he closed his eyes, Qrow was pulled into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The humming stopped as Qrow's breathing evened out. Carefully, Clover set the thinner male down back onto the mattress without much trouble. He then proceeded to lay the blanket they found earlier up to his waist-line.

Robyn looked bothered by something by the time Clover had finished ensuring Qrow would be safe and sound asleep.

"Something the matter?" He asked, worry creasing his eyebrows. 

The only reply he got was a shake on her head, silently telling him no. Or perhaps more specifically, 'Not now'. Clover only nodded in respect and stood up, having planned that he would take first watch.

As Robyn watched Clover disappear through the door, a single voice only managed to surface through the overlapping thoughts that made her lose focus. It surprised her because she didn't think too much about it at the time, but now that it did, she couldn't help but _think_ as she looked over to her sleeping ally.

Qrow lied. He isn't from Patch. 


	6. The Day Of Weddings And Sunflowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear a fluffy chapter will come soon

Robyn got separated from Qrow and Clover while out scavenging.

"How the FUCK did she get separated from us? It's normally me getting separated from you two!" Qrow exclaimed, waving his arms above his head as he practically shouted to the sky hoping the gods above would answer his question. Of course, it did nothing but instead attract at least three more zombies to their general area, which just made him more annoyed. In a fit of irritation, Qrow blasted the first two zombies on the head with his shotgun and straight away impaled the third one with a screwdriver. The handle broke off from the metal part when he went to pull it out. 

Clover only chuckled softly as he headshot the last zombie, watching it fall on the ground lifelessly. He tucked the gun back into his back pocket before turning to Qrow, who was now mumbling profanities under his breath, the broken handle was forgotten somewhere on the ground.

"I doubt Robyn would be too far," Clover said, giving Qrow a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Qrow only grumbled something in response, but no doubt he was just worried about Robyn's wellbeing. "Let's backtrack and see if we can find her." 

It wasn't so hard due to the line of corpses they had killed along the way. They actually made it a mini-game to see how many zombies they had killed as they backtracked (That was when Clover found out just how good Qrow's memory is. However, Clover was winning by two anyway.)

They eventually did find their platinum gold haired ally ("Why the fuck would you think it's white, Qrow?" "You reminded me of someone.") staring through a window shop with a lost gaze in her eyes. There was a pile of zombies around her and based on the street sign both knew that Robyn had purposely walked off to another direction.

She looked busy in thought, and the two didn't want to interrupt her just yet so they decided to simply stand by her side until she decides to talk.

In front of the trio was a wedding dress shop- locally owned, it seemed, due to the unfamiliar brand. Compared to the disaster around them, the shop wasn't impacted too much besides a broken door and maybe a million other broken dresses inside... 

Although what remained was a mannequin showing off a white frilly wedding dress that reached all the way to the floor, some stitching of flowers that looked a lot like sunflowers and roses embedded on the skirt and even the sleeveless top itself. There was green jewelry over the rim of the top and the waistline. It was a pretty dress, both Qrow and Clover would think. 

(And while one would be reminded of a certain sibling's wedding, the other wouldn't think too much about the dress. Unless of course the man they would marry ends up wearing a wedding dress for some reason. It's not entirely a bad thought.)

"Sorry for walking off." Robyn finally spoke, her eyes still glued to the dress in front of her with a sad look on her face. "I just happen to saw something that... reminded me a lot of someones. Someone that I care a lot."

The other two spared a questioning glance at each other as if they were sharing the same thought. "Your friend?" Qrow asked for both of them. 

Robyn shook her head. "No, my wife." 

The sudden mention of having a wife surprised both Qrow and Clover. It was expected, really, since none of them haven't shared much about their past ever since their first week together. Although, Robyn didn't have a ring on (well, Qrow isn't married and he has a ring on, so who is he to complain?) and... well... they didn't think Robyn is the type to get settled down with a lovely woman. Looks like they were proven wrong. 

"Sounds like an interesting story. What's her name?" Clover asked with a small smile on his face. 

"... Fiona." Was the only reply they got before Robyn shifted back into her usually narrowed gaze. She took a step back to eye the dress once more before turning around to walk somewhere else, calling out that they should move. 

The change in tone made the other two glance at each other once more, a silent question in their heads as they followed their female ally back into the streets and into the zombie-infested world.

* * *

The image of sunflowers stayed in Qrow's mind after that.

Tai had a thing for gardening, had one area dedicated to vegetables and fruits, but flowers is where his heart is at. The flowers varied from time to time, sometimes he would see carnations, lilies and maybe some roses along the garden bed, but out of all of them, Tai had a special relationship with sunflowers. 

Qrow used to tease him that it was because 'They are literally rays of sunshine', both the flower and his friend. Tai hated him for that.

When Yang came along, sunflowers became a part of his image of his niece. Hair like a ray of sun, personality bold and bright, a firecracker... Nothing like his sister, despite being biologically related. 

Sunflowers... Yang and Ruby always liked to play in Tai's garden, especially around the sunflowers. 

"Qrow? You're stoning again."

"I am not stoning, just remembering something."

The reply caused Robyn to roll her eyes and for Clover to chuckle. They were back in the basement Qrow had talked about before, somewhat deciding that it will be their temporary safehouse or whatever. It was located in the quiet part of Argus, so there isn't that many zombies roaming around. The brunt of the outbreak happened in the central district, after all. 

"Do enlighten us, Qrow." Clover said, an easy smile on his face. He was reading moments ago- not a joke book this time, something more adventurous and fiction. The semi-thick novel now lay on the ground beside him, forgotten as his attention became fixated on Qrow. Even Robyn got a tiny bit curious and was subtly moving closer to the pair to hear better. 

Qrow rolled his eyes, comparing them to actual nosy children. Nonetheless, he gave into their curiosities. Besides, after nearly surviving a full month together, he couldn't the deny the feeling of trust between all three of them. 

"I'm just remembering... well, I'm thinking about my nieces before shit went down." Qrow began, smiling a tiny bit when he saw the happy faces of Ruby and Yang in his mind.

"What are their names?"

"... Ruby and Yang. Sisters, but if I have to go into detail of our entire family tree then I would say those two share the same father but have different mothers. And before you ask, no, I will not delve into that part of the story." Qrow pointed at Clover who definitely looked like he wanted to ask. Robyn was giving him another look, though if it was something negative, he wouldn't know. 

"Those two are like two peas in a pod, despite their differences in both personality and look. Yang, the older one, is quite literally a firecracker. Extroverted, bright, confident in herself... cares a lot about her family, especially her sister. She always loves the thrill of life and would seek adventure whether she should or shouldn't."

A brief memory came up of a younger Yang passed out on the ground with a sleeping Ruby in a red cart, surrounded by... 

Qrow sighed, forcing the memory back in his head. Fucking hell, Raven... 

"Ruby, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. Introverted, awkward and overall a naive little brat. However, her dedication to put others before herself is admirable, and even through her innocence, her sense of justice towards what she believes is right is what makes her unique and special." Like her mother.

Clover was smiling as Qrow talked about his nieces, which made Qrow feel a sense of pride. His nieces were always what gives him a reason to continue living his life, despite the hardships and trials he went through. Both of his girls deserve the best in life. 

"What happened to them?"

Ah, he forgot that Robyn's bluntness is still there. The happiness Qrow was feeling towards talking about his nieces depleted almost immediately. His chest tightened as he recalled the last memory he remembered of being with them- Ruby's scream and Yang's hard gaze on him... 

He failed to realize it at the time, but telling Yang and Ruby to run wasn't exactly a good idea. It wasn't the worst idea (though to be fair, the Branwens have a long tally on the most idiotic ideas ever to exist. Raven leaving is currently number one) but it could've been better. He supposed he shouldn't blame himself too much, since there wasn't enough time to actually think properly. All Qrow wanted was to keep them safe- staying near him isn't gonna help.

Then again, leaving them alone is just as worse...

"I told them to run." Qrow ended up saying. "They're smart, and I know those two will protect each other even in a shitty situation like this. In fact, I have a feeling that they managed to get to one of the evacuation helicopters before the entire camp fell into ruin." 

The attention was then diverted to Clover, who looked surprised but was now in thought, most likely trying to recall the people he had helped to evacuate. 

"It is likely since our evacuation primarily focused on those with children and/or the elderly. We were successful in evacuating a couple of people, but I personally don't recall their appearances. If I were to guess, your nieces would be in Atlas at this very moment, safe and sound. So if..." He trailed off. No words need to be sent anymore to voice out what Clover was thinking.

"How about Mantle? Are they also doing evacuations there?" Robyn asked, hopefulness in her voice. 

"I believe Mantle itself is used as a safe zone alongside Atlas. Up until the madness that happened on the first day, I have been informed that Argus needed immediate attention. It's... unknown whether the situation had also happened in other parts of the world. It's also uncertain if the outbreak that had happened in Argus had spread to other parts of Anima. A lockdown probably ensued but... things got escalated really fast. And right now we don't have the means of communication to know exactly how dire everything is."

Clover was strangely professional as he told them of the situation, informing them of what he knows of the outbreak. It really reminded Qrow of at least two people who would speak like that. Coincidentally, they are also from the military and from Atlas.

So all things considered, hearing Clover talk like that gave him some very uncomfortable vibes despite being informative. 

"Your wife is in Mantle, right?" Qrow asked Robyn as a way to change the topic. Robyn widened her eyes at the mention of her wife, but she soon smiled warmly as she shifted her sitting position. 

"Yea. We both grew up in Mantle, and since we aren't planning on moving to another city any time soon, we decided to build our life there. We got married about a year ago and I can proudly tell you that it was the best day of my life." Suddenly, a shadow was cast over her eyes. "She and I decided that we wanted a child. Fiona offered to carry, and I agreed." 

There was more to what she was just saying, and it didn't take long for Qrow to caught on the concern and worry radiating from his ally. 

"How... How long was she pregnant for?" 

"As of today, two months." 

Fuck. Just... Fuck, in general. It's already disheartening when you're forced to be separated from your love ones due to the chaos, but imagine being in Fiona's shoes. She's only two months pregnant, carrying life in a world full of zombies that kills people. Not only that, but she's separated from her wife during the only time she needed her support. 

Then imagine Robyn, worried and scared for her pregnant wife but having no way of getting to her (which, let's remember, Mantle is in another continent). It's a shitty situation to be in and Qrow feels sorry for her. 

No, not just sorry. Devastated. Terrible. Every single vocabulary in the English language that could describe just how fucking shitty this entire situation is. 

Qrow looked down at the book Clover was reading a couple of minutes ago. It has a sunflower on the cover.

* * *

Night falls, and only one managed to fall into a deep slumber. 

Qrow was wide awake, staring at the empty ceiling as if he was trying to mimic stargazing. It was making him feel pathetic, just recalling the conversation they had hours ago. He supposed it was enlightening to know more about Robyn- and the fact she has a wife, but it seemed it took most of Robyn's energy away as reality decided to be a fucking bitch once more. 

He was just glad Robyn was able to sleep despite it all. Having that conversation could've made her restless but at least she's taking a much-needed break. 

Clover, on the other hand, is another story.

The man himself chose to do first shift without anyone knowing- literally. Robyn went to sleep and Qrow was so stoned out of his mind he forgot he was supposed to be the one watching over them for the night. Clover had immediately dismissed his questions and suggested he rest for now- which Qrow reluctantly agreed.

That was around two hours ago, and if Qrow isn't gonna sleep any time soon he doubts he's ever gonna sleep at all.

So what better way to spend the night by talking to an Atlas Military Specialist? Alone? In another room? Who seems so bothered by earlier's conversation? And definitely not because Qrow's actually worried about Clover? 

(He'll be surprised if nothing misfortunate happened tonight)

"Qrow? You're still awake?"

Right. Busy with his inner monologue, he forgot he was actually moving. Clover was sitting on a sturdy-looking box that held no importance whatsoever, his ankle resting over his leg. His gun was laid down beside him and by the looks of it, Clover looked like he was in the middle of contemplating life by staring into a lit lamp, which provided the source of light in the room. 

"What does it look like? Scoot." Qrow said, grumbling to himself when he realized future Qrow is gonna hate him for not getting enough sleep. Clover picked up his gun and moved over, making enough space that the two can comfortably sit down on the box, but not enough that their shoulders end up touching each other. 

(Someone stop Qrow from making impulsive decisions to sit near handsome men)

They were silent for the next fifteen minutes, mindlessly staring at the lamp as if it was gonna help them with the awkward silence. Although, the silence actually gave Qrow the impression that there is something wrong with Clover. Usually, the bastard would have no problem striking up a conversation or even offer to play their sad version of 'cards'. 

The soldier seemed bothered by something. 

"Alright, spit it out."

"Huh?"

"There's something itching in your head. You've pretty much helped me whenever I needed it and, well, right now it seems like you need a listening ear. So, yea, I'm here if you need to talk or something." He could already feel imaginary Yang patting him on the shoulder sympathetically. There's a reason why Qrow wasn't given the role of 'Local Dad/Mom' in his friend group- he doesn't even know how to comfort people.

Thankfully, Clover seemed grateful as he let out a sigh that sounded strangely like relief. 

"Thank goodness, I thought I'd have to spend the night with raging thoughts." Clover chuckled light-heartedly, making Qrow all the more curious and worried. Clover noticed the reaction and dropped the facade.

"I was just thinking about what you and Robyn shared a couple of hours ago. About Fiona and your nieces..." Clover said, adjusting his position so that his forearms were resting on his knees, his hands clasped in front of him. Qrow couldn't make out his expression from where he was sitting. "After hearing about them, I realized something. Both of you looked pretty happy when you talked about them."

He supposed Clover was right. Who wouldn't be happy talking about the best thing that's ever happened in your life? 

"So then I thought about the people in my life that I cared about and... it pretty much dawned on me that I had no one." 

Clover straightened his back, allowing Qrow to see his lips formed in a thin line, his ocean-teal eyes reflecting the orange light from the lamp. 

"When I was just a young boy, my parents have passed away as far as I can remember. So I lived with my grandpa in Mantle, and he would always tell me stories about how my parents fought for justice and right. Both were police officers and gave their lives in an emergency. I suppose that's where I got my ambition to be part of Atlas Military." Clover was smiling a tiny bit, and although it didn't quite reach his eyes, Qrow could tell Clover still loved his grandpa. 

"My grandpa died once I reached grade school. I ended up being put into foster care my entire childhood, being moved from home to home up until I was old enough to take care of myself. The homes I was placed were... okay. They took care of me, gave me a roof over my head, but they never gave me the love of a parent to a child. It didn't bother me, not even now. What did bother me is how the kids in my school would talk crap about me. Despite having no biological relatives, going through foster... I still lived a pretty privileged life. And, well, I also end up getting a few extra quarters in the ground." 

It went quiet for a while. Qrow respectfully stayed silent. 

"At the time, it was pretty much a joke to call me a 'Lucky Charm' due to my name. But as the years go by, and as more opportunities came for me to do well in both my academics and extra-curricular activities... It wasn't a nickname anymore. Whatever I do, no matter how much hard work I put in or how much time I've spent studying and studying and studying..." 

Clover's voice changed to a higher pitch, mimicking what a schoolkid would say. "' You're just lucky,'. 'Of course, you'd be lucky enough to get in'. 'You really are a good luck charm'." 

He sighed after that, rubbing his nape with his gloved hand. "That's all they ever see me. A lucky charm. Someone who only depends on luck instead of their skill and dedication to doing their very best." 

"What about your team?" Qrow couldn't help but mention. Clover has expressed concern towards his team during their time together, surely he was close to them?

But alas, it was not the case. Clover only looked more bitter. 

"We aren't friends. Thankfully, they see me more than just a lucky charm and respect me for my skills, but that was it. We were never anything beyond colleagues."

It was upsetting to see Clover acting this way, though it made Qrow realize that maybe they aren't so different from one another. Despite obvious differences, Qrow finds that it was... easy to sympathize with Clover. 

Clover's words from a few days ago made much more sense now. 

_"Call yourself a bad luck charm, but dear the gods above it don't let it be the one that defines you as a person."_

Qrow bit his bottom lip, thinking quietly. Clover saw a bit of himself in Qrow... He wondered what he was thinking when Qrow called himself a bad luck charm. 

"You should get some sleep," Clover said, patting Qrow on the shoulder. The touch surprised Qrow, and he couldn't help but jump. Clover only laughed as he pulled away. 

"How about you?" 

"I... need some time to think, that's all." 

There's a sense of finality in Clover's voice- something that Qrow understands too well. Even though he doesn't want to leave him alone just yet, he knew listening to Clover's request is what he needs right now. Talking to someone isn't always enough to feel better. 

Respecting the need to be alone, Qrow stood up. However, before he could fully walk away, he felt a hang grip onto his wrist. Not too tightly, but enough to make him stop and turn around in surprise. 

Clover smiled, the grip loosening a tiny bit but still wrapped around his wrist.

"Thank you," He said. 

Qrow didn't know what to respond with, so he just nodded his head. Clover let go, and Qrow was free to go back to the other room. 

Robyn was still asleep. Quietly, as to not disturb her, he laid down on a mattress and closed his eyes.

He thought of weddings full of red and yellow, then of gardens, that's filled with sunflowers.

In the end, he dreamt of four-leaf clovers. 


	7. The Day A Bunch Of Birds Raided A Mall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: wondering why ya'll screaming in the previous chp  
> also me: doesnt give clover the comfort he deserves in the prev chp  
> definitely me: oh r igh t

If you were in a zombie apocalypse, what is one of the places you would definitely avoid to increase your chances of survival? 

In Argus, the Central Business District, where most companies and businesses reside, is currently full of those walking corpses. Although, outside of the district, the number of zombies can be manageable. Still, some public places still have a shit-ton of zombies, for example, a mall. Two malls. 

Malls in general, really. 

So who would decide to go to a mall that is likely to be invested with undead corpses that want to eat your flesh?

If there's anyone to blame, fingers would be pointed towards their only military-inclined ally. 

"Argus Mall... basically the second largest mall in Argus, whereas the largest is called the 'Argus Central Ma-"

"Okay! We get it! No need for a history lesson."

"No, that's just common sense. If I have to give you a history lesson-" 

Qrow was purposely annoying Robyn as they traversed through the underground parking lot of the hall, the main doors being blocked by numerous fallen debris which includes vehicles, pillars, and a couple of dozen corpses. With the occasional two or three zombies, the huge and wide parking lot was quite empty. Electricity seemed to be working for a couple of lights were left on, albeit some were flickering on and off. 

Clover was the one keeping a look-out, years of military training making it a habit. Although he kept an ear out for his two allies, quietly listening into their banter and finding the exchange amusing. It seemed it was easy for Robyn to get riled up- and much easier for Qrow to push the correct buttons. He was just glad they have gotten closer over the course of 76 days of survival (yes, he counted). 

The groan coming from their platinum-blonde friend opted Clover to finally glance over his shoulder, seeing Robyn with a grumpy face while Qrow just looked pleased with himself. "Hey, Ebi, why are we going to a mall?" Robyn finally asked once she had enough of entertaining Qrow. 

Clover grinned. "I figured we could have a bit of fun today." 

"... In a mall." Qrow said, not as a question. The military man nodded, the grin still on his face which unsettled both Robyn and Qrow. 

They honestly have no idea what Clover had planned for them. In fact, they didn't even know Clover was planning something until he decided to wake Qrow from his nap and interrupt Robyn from her reading to declare that he had found 'a place where they could check out', whatever the fuck that means. Even though both had followed him out they still couldn't help but wonder what the fuck is this man planning to do. 

Thankfully, their questions would be answered in due time. For now, they would have to suffer Clover's subtle hints and friendly smiles that sends some bad vibes. 

A zombie somehow jumped out from behind a toppled over car, scaring the shit out of all of them. Robyn was quicker to respond and shot a bolt straight through its head. 

"You better not walk us into a death trap," Qrow mumbled to himself, though fully aware that the other two can clearly hear him. Robyn only let out some unintelligible words under her breathe while Clover just smiled once more.

There was a large windowed room that had both elevators and escalators leading to the mall itself. The sliding doors were jammed up, much to no one's surprise when Qrow tried to walk up to the sliding doors to see if he can still fit through the gap only for the sliding doors to repeatedly open and close violently, risking injury. 

"I thought the electricity was cut off," Robyn said, kneeling down to pick up what looks like a part of a fallen pillar. She passed it to Clover, who took it wordlessly and threw it towards the glass panes. It shattered with a loud crash, some shards of it nearly cutting Qrow if he hadn't stepped back in time. 

"Emergency generators or something. Argus is equipped to handle large disasters such as earthquakes and the such. Zombie outbreaks weren't considered but hey, small miracles." Qrow shrugged, stepping through the opening with the other two following behind him.

A small groan came from their left, and Robyn wasted no time to kill it.

Even though there is, in a way, electricity, it's not enough to power on the escalators. So they resort to do the old fashion way and walk. Or climb up the escalator that isn't really that high but apparently it is. 

By the time they reached the top, Qrow was irritably tired. Clover was fine, and Robyn was busy scanning their general area for any zombies. 

"I really don't want to waste these bolts," Robyn whined a tiny bit as she saw a few zombies ahead of them, who didn't seem to take notice of the new arrivals. Qrow nodded, agreeing with her. If they use their guns, which is highly effective, it would cause noise and before they knew it they would be swarmed. Robyn's crossbow is silent enough, but she only has limited bolts, and they have to save their ammo. 

"As long as we're careful and attentive, we should be fine." There it is again, Clover being the optimistic one. With a wide grin, he pulled out a combat knife from his modified belt and started stalking towards the zombies, who at that moment had finally taken notice of the teal-eyed survivor. Qrow pocketed his gun and retrieved the knife from his own belt, following Clover to assist. 

Robyn only rolled her eyes, finding the entire ordeal unnecessarily dramatic for her taste.

* * *

"Why am I not surprised?" 

Qrow couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Clover be embarrassed over Robyn's comment. They were walking around for a while, killing off any stray zombies until Clover caught the sight of what looks like a book-shop. 

"We already know you like books, lucky charm. Go crazy." Qrow managed to slip a smile as he disappeared into an aisle, which is more focused on children's books. 

The strange genre didn't confuse Clover, but rather the nickname. "Since when were we on a nickname basis?" He softly thought aloud, making Robyn roll her eyes due to the sheer ignorance of the gay tension between them. 

As Clover disappeared into another aisle that focuses on non-fiction, Robyn decided to follow Qrow into the children's genre. She found him reading through a very thin book that holds a short story. With a glance at the cover, she realized it was a fairy tale. 

"Red Riding Hood, huh?" Robyn asked, taking another book out from the shelf. The title made her laugh softly for it was Robin Hood, which she would admit, was her favorite as a child.

"Yea. Whenever I get to visit my nieces, I usually tell them fairy tales. Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks were their favorites as a kid." 

Robyn placed the book back to pick up another one. "As a kid, you say? How about now?" 

"Ruby's still the same- Red Riding Hood. And honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if their parents got inspiration from that fairy tale when naming her. Yang, having liked Goldilocks as a child, grew attached to the fairytale Beauty and the Beast when she got a bit older. I didn't really understand at the time, but when I asked, Yang only said that she kind of wished she can find her 'Beast' or somewhere along those lines." Qrow's expression shifted into something sadder before resuming his neutral look. He placed the book back, his finger touching the spine for a moment too long before letting go. 

"Sounds like she's a romantic sap," Robyn said, noticing the shift in expression but choosing not to mention it. Qrow shrugged to himself.

"Sure, if that's what you wanna call her. Yang's a party kind of person so I assumed she wouldn't be actively looking for a serious relationship. Not like her father will let her, though."

Before Robyn could further ask, Clover's voice cut through their conversation. 

"Hey, Qrow! Robyn! Where do horses shop?" 

The two gave each other questioning glances, wondering why Clover would ask such a random and absurd question.

"Uh, I don't know." 

"Old Neigh-vy!" 

Ah, so that's why. It seemed like Clover has found another joke book, much to Qrow's amusement as his chuckles echoed in the dark bookstore. Robyn, on the other hand, just felt like dying inside.

* * *

A furniture shop isn't exactly what Qrow expected when Robyn said she wanted to check on something. It's no IKEA, and the store is quite small, but it still has a handful of chairs ranging from dining chairs to swivel chairs and even those hanging chairs used in an outdoor patio. Also, something children love to sit on for some reason.

Besides the alarmingly large amount of chairs, it has a few tables and a million pillows scattered across the store. 

"Why are there so many pillows?" Clover asked himself, kneeling down to pick up a dark-stained pillow that has seen better days. He chuckled to himself when he saw a print of a four-leaf clover on the front. 

Qrow was getting annoyed with just how many pillows and chairs there are in the store. Yes, he should know a store like this exists since he lived in Argus much longer than these two have, but can't you blame him? He barely leaves the apartment unless it's work-related.

(And most of the time, he was outside... due to work-related stuff.)

Robyn had somehow disappeared into the backroom without their knowledge. The only way they know is when Clover pointed out that the door to the storeroom was opened, confirmed by Robyn's call inside followed by the sound of metal piercing through a zombified corpse.

"I still don't get how we're supposed to 'have fun' in a zombie apocalypse." Qrow had said once the silence between them became too long. Clover shrugged, tossing a pillow towards one of the chairs. "Nonetheless in a mall." 

"I mean, we did have our good moments, yea?" Clover replied back, referencing to when he founded a joke book, and when they had played 'Cops and Robbers'. Qrow admits, it was fun, but he still didn't know what does it have to do with being in a mall. 

"... You are weird." 

Clover only winked in response. Bastard. 

A pillow was flung towards the space between them, shocking both of them to near-death. Qrow had jumped back, his heel slipping onto some squishy pillows which caused him to fall backward. Clover was unable to catch him in time, but fortunately, Qrow did not have to suffer new bruises as he fell back onto some pillows that he swore weren't even there before. The pillowcase itself felt... weird and gross and just plain terrible, but the pillow had cushioned him. 

Robyn stood a few feet away, a smirk plastered on her face with a hand gripping onto a large pillow. 

Still processing his shock, Qrow didn't catch on the pillow fight Robyn had initiated until Clover had retaliated by swinging not one, but two pillows towards her direction. Robyn had dodged the first pillow flawlessly but was unable to move fast enough until the second pillow smacked right into her stomach. The force of it made Robyn stumble, and just like that, a battle had ensued between them. 

Qrow was still on the ground, his weight sinking on the pillow as he watched with a dumbfounded look at how serious those two were at it with throwing pillows at each other. 

"I take it back. Both of you are weird." Qrow stated, realizing a moment too late just how much of a terrible idea it was to voice his thoughts out. Qrow yelped when a pillow was thrown at his face, smack right at the center that it actually hurt a bit. As the pillow dropped onto his lap, he glared up to see who the attacker was. His glare became deadlier when he realized it was Clover, his teal eyes betraying the soft smile that would've been mistaken for innocence.

"You are such an asshole." Using his own strength, Qrow threw the pillow Clover had used back to him. Clover had stepped to the side to avoid it, but he didn't realize another bird was gonna attack him when another pillow knocked his head. 

For the next thirty minutes, three adults went to war via a pillow fight. It was a miracle that zombies haven't pop out of nowhere due to the ruckus they were making- not like they were gonna complain despite how worrying it was. 

Feathers have covered the ground, and a handful of pillows were shredded unmercilessly due to the strength of three people.

By the looks of it, Robyn seems to be winning by a landslide. Clover was doing good, but for some reason, Qrow had decided to put more focus on Clover other than Robyn. In return, Clover focused more on Qrow. And because of their lack of awareness of their third party, Robyn was easily beating both of them up by whacking them on the head with a pillow, with one side being torn which caused the feathers to fly out. 

Another five minutes, and finally Qrow had called it quits when Clover made fun of him for having feathers in his hair. Robyn won by smacking his face with a pillow. 

"You know, I'm impressed by your speed and agility." Clover complimented Qrow, who was sulking in the corner as he attempted to take the feathers out from his hair. Qrow only grumbled something under his breathe, nothing really negative, maybe out of annoyance. It just made Clover amused as he decided to help Qrow with his hair. 

"You've ever seen him move? He's damn graceful. Even so, you're not so bad yourself, fish sticks. You're... You seemed like you have a lot of tricks up your sleeve. Something you picked up from the military?" Robyn was fixing her own hair by taking out the feathers, but all the time her attention was on the two of them. Clover nodded.

"Adaptable but predictable. Y'know, shooting a gun or crossbow is one thing but still being able to throw a damn pillow with accuracy is pretty scary." Finally, Qrow spoke, though still preoccupied with his own hair. And it was true, for the entire time they were fooling around, Robyn had hit them both without fail, and even if it seems like she missed, it was on purpose to distract them from a second pillow. 

"... You are so weird." Robyn shook her head. "Come on, there's still daylight. Let's see if we can do something else here." 

"Alright sure- FUCK!"

"Did you stub your toe on a desk?"

* * *

"Qrow, I honestly think that-"

"Fuck you, I see a carousel, I fucking ride the carousel."

Clover was busy meddling with the controls, listening to Qrow and Robyn's banter in the background. As they continued walking around the mall, killing off any stray zombies they would find, they stumbled upon a carousel. It's small enough to fit in the mall obviously, and by the looks of it, it seemed to be those once in a month kind of event where children can ride the carousel. 

How convenient that the power box needed to turn on the carousel is located right beside the controls? 

"Seriously- QROW GET OFF THE FUCKING- MY GOD YOU'RE GONNA FALL??" 

Clover finally spared a glance upwards, eyebrows rising just a slightly bit upon seeing Qrow climbing up the pole that was connected to one of the ridable horses. He didn't worry so much and decided to look through the controls again, trying to see which one of the buttons does not immediately blow upon his face and kill everyone around him. 

"Hey, Qrow? I suggest getting down, I'm gonna make a lucky guess and push one of these buttons and hope for the best." Clover said, his eyes still glued to the control panel. Although, he can hear Qrow's mumbling and Robyn's sigh of relief. 

"Seriously, Qrow, what is with you and carousels?"

Instead of replying, Qrow just stuck his tongue out. Robyn was about to retort but the sudden lurch of the circular platform caused Robyn to stumble. Fortunately, she managed to reach out to hold onto the side of the horse Qrow was riding. Looking over, the two saw Clover giving them a thumbs-up before he disappeared from their line of sight. 

The horses began bobbing up and down, and Robyn managed to find her balance to let go. Looking around, she noticed there were a few carriages and tea-cups. 

"You seem to be enjoying yourself." Clover had appeared by their side a few minutes later, a hand resting on his hip as he directed the question to Qrow- who really did seem to be enjoying himself, sitting on the horse with both his legs hanging on one side so he was sitting sideways. 

"Don't make fun of me." Was Qrow's reply, despite the smile on his face. 

Clover and Robyn only shared a look before letting out a laugh. 

Unfortunately for them, their happy moment was broken the moment they heard the faint sounds of groans coming from a distance. They should've expected it since the music currently blaring from the carousel would have attracted not one, but a group of zombies from afar. 

"We didn't think this through, did we?" Robyn asked as Qrow jumped off the horse. Getting off the still-moving carousel, Qrow shot two zombies on the head with his shotgun. 

No one answered Robyn's rhetorical question but rather decided that living another day is much more appealing than standing their ground and facing the zombies. As they ran towards the next wing of the mall, dodging or shooting any zombies that came too close, the ex-teacher of the group couldn't help but realize that he didn't feel panicked or scared.

Rather, he felt a sense of exhilaration, the same kind of feeling when he and the others ran away from the cops in their younger years. There was no fear in him when he realized he could go to jail, and no actual regret over the actions he decided to take that night. And even with his chest burning from lack of air, he was laughing alongside his friends over their mischevious antics. 

He should've been scared. He should've known better. He should've realized just how much danger he's putting not just himself, but the other two as well. Yet despite all that... there was a bubbling feeling in his chest. And as he looked over to his two allies, he could see smiles on their faces.

They know what they're up against. The dangers, trials, risks... But for now, they can just pretend that none of it matters. 

That Qrow's past, so full of darkness, guns, and blood, doesn't matter.

That Robyn's ambition, so passionate but had hurt those close to her, doesn't matter.

That Clover's beliefs, so important yet dangerous to his character, doesn't matter. 

No, they knew the tensions would rise one way or another. That at one point, guns would be pointed at each other. They may even betray one another. The possibility is there, though small. 

But for now, they can pretend.

* * *

"Looks like the mess we made back there attracted most of the zombies," Qrow said once they reached a safe area. "Not many zombies here."

"Was there ever?"

"Good point." 

Qrow looked to the store nearest to them and widened his eyes once he looked at the sign. It was a costume shop, and by the looks of it, it seemed pretty big. It was decked out in Halloween themed decorations, which would fit the theme of being a costume shop but not with the current season. 

"We have to get inside." Qrow had said, not bothering to check up on the others before marching up right to the door. He kicked the door open for no reason whatsoever and walked inside, the darkness enveloping him and the glass doors swinging shut. 

Robyn and Clover stared, still processing the odd flare of unnecessary extra-ness from one Qrow Branwen, until they heard shots coming from the inside of the store, followed by a bright light flickering once then twice. 

"I think we should follow him." Clover smiled to Robyn, already walking to the store to give Qrow some assistance until he felt Robyn tug on the ends of his brown jacket (the letterman jacket that Qrow had picked out for him, now stained in guts). He turned and gave Robyn a questioning glance with his eyebrow raised. 

Robyn opened her mouth to speak, but paused as if considering her next choice of words. 

Clover couldn't help but worry. It's not like Robyn to keep her mouth shut- in fact, alongside Qrow, she had no problem letting the Atlesian Military know what was on her mind, whether it's something good or bad. So seeing her like this made Clover worry that there was something wrong. 

"I heard what you said. A couple of days ago."

A confused tip on his head made Robyn roll her eyes, looking away uncomfortably.

"That night when you talked to Qrow about your past. You two weren't exactly quiet."

Oh. Oh, that makes much more sense. And while it didn't really bother Clover that Robyn had overheard them, he definitely did feel awkward about it. Yes, Robyn and Qrow had shared a part of themselves but not their childhood. On the contrary, there wasn't much Clover had shared about himself because when it comes down to it, he didn't have anything to share. 

Except for his childhood, which both Qrow and Robyn know now. 

"I'm sorry." Robyn said, snapping Clover out from his thoughts. 

"For what? I know I would eventually tell you about it-"

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I'm sorry that you had to go through that. Being alone throughout your childhood with no parent or... or anyone." Robyn lamely shrugged, finding her string of words out of place and odd. And while Clover felt the same way about how it was portrayed, he could tell the intentions behind those words. "But that's not really what I want to talk to you about. Or, uh, do." 

Clover was curious to what Robyn meant by that. "I don't really follow what you're saying, Ms. Hill. I know my childhood hasn't been the best but it wasn't so bad. Other people certainly had it worse than me." 

"Yea, and even so people still deserve to be helped and comforted." 

"I really don't understand. Where are you getting at?"

Robyn let out a frustrated groan. Clover patiently waited for Robyn to cool off. 

"... When was the last time you hugged someone?"

The question surprised Clover. Still confused, he answered anyway. "Qrow, during the time he... yea. What about it?"

"When was the last time someone hugged you?" 

The change of wording rendered Clover speechless. Not only did he fail to find an answer, but it forced him to recall the time when someone had hugged him, not him initiating the hug. The memory lane lasted way longer than it should have, and the moment he found the time when someone hugged him, his shoulders, usually held high, now deflated. 

It was when he was still a young boy, being held close by his grandpa when the rain and thunder terrified him. He could somehow remember, despite how frail his grandpa was, the strong arms around his small body. Clover remembered tracing patterns against rough palms with his finger, not questioning its origins but finding the stimulation pleasant and calming. 

Just remembering such an old memory locked in the back of his brain made him realize just how long he depended on himself to survive.

For the second time again, Clover was snapped out of his thoughts by Robyn. But instead of words, he felt a weight wrapped around his shoulders. 

His fingers reached out to grasp the material and found out that it was a blanket. The material was thick, yet soft. It was in a deep forest green color. 

"I'm sorry that Qrow and I couldn't give you the same comfort," Robyn said slowly, stepping back from when she placed the blanket around him. "It's for personal reasons that we can't provide physical comfort as easy as you can, Clover. Maybe one day, and while I know you can handle the negative thoughts that tend to plague your mind on your own, it still doesn't erase the feeling that we could've done something to help you. You deserve feeling the same safety and comfort as you did for... him."

Robyn was speaking for both Qrow and her, which Clover found interesting. So the two did talk a few days ago, and it should've bothered him that it was about him they're talking about... it didn't. Instead, he was actually happy that they were looking out for him just as much as he was looking out for them. 

It was awkward for the next few seconds as Clover continued to touch the material. Robyn, slightly sick of the silence, had said she would check up on Qrow. Without leaving room for argument, she disappeared into the store. As the light flashed into the dark store, Clover knew Robyn got the right idea and turned on her flashlight. 

Clover tugged the blanket closer to him. And while it wasn't so long, only managing to reach the end of his knees, he found it comforting anyway. It took a moment to realize why the blanket weighed a bit- and why Robyn had given it to him. The thought made him chuckle, his face slightly turning warm. 

This was a hug. They were indirectly giving him a hug because they couldn't give him one themselves. 

"Thank you." Clover breathed out, knowing they wouldn't hear him anyway. 

A sudden shriek from the store was an indication that it was time for Clover to be inside, yet he stayed where he was for a while. He knew Qrow had decided to use the darkness to scare Robyn half to death, and while he wanted to save Qrow before he could die from Robyn's wrath, he decided that Qrow can handle himself for the time being. 

His index finger unconsciously traced patterns on the surface of the blanket. It started off as circles before forming shapes, one of which ended up being a feather.

* * *

The sun had long set by the time they returned back to their safehouse. Robyn had gone straight for bed, placing her belongings down for the two men to handle by themselves. Qrow made sure to secure the door shut before turning his attention to their supplies.

He caught Clover taking out the green blanket from his bag. It made Qrow smile. 

"Y'know, you didn't have to make us go to the mall," Qrow said, causing Clover to look at him in confusion. "I know why you wanted us to go there, Ebi." 

Clover raised an innocent eyebrow towards Qrow. The blanket still in his arms, he walked closer to his ally. "Oh? And what reason could it be, Branwen?" Clover asked.

"The day we shared more about ourselves. When Robyn talked about Fiona and myself about my nieces... You noticed how stressed we got over their whereabouts, so you decided to bring us to the mall to unwind. And while I will admit me and Robyn had gotten over it quite quick... I'm still grateful that you're looking out for us, anyway." 

Clover hummed. "There's no reason to thank me for looking out for the people I trust."

"Trust, huh?" Qrow sighed. "It's a powerful yet scary thing." 

"... So is fear." 

Qrow snapped his head up when he heard Clover's soft whisper. However, before he could fully process the implication of his words, Clover had changed into another topic with a smile on his face. 

"You know, I find it strange that Ms. Hill had this blanket in her bag the entire day. Or maybe... she had collected it while we were standing around in mounds of pillows?" 

It made sense, somewhat. They wouldn't be interested in going to a furniture shop even if their lives depend on it, but Robyn wanted to. And since it's a furniture shop, surely there would be blankets around, right? 

"I assumed Robyn told you? We talked about it a few days ago, but we didn't actually plan on doing anything. Robyn must have used the opportunity in the mall." 

"I would say she got lucky, then."

Qrow gave Clover an unimpressed look. He glanced down at the blanket. "May I?" 

Despite his confusion, Clover passed the blanket to him anyway, albeit a bit slowly. Qrow gripped the corners of the blanket and pulled it apart, surveying the length and size of it. Glancing towards Clover then back to the blanket, it seemed as if a decision was made and swung it over Clover's head. 

The blanket flattened a bit of Clover's hair, a few strands given mercy to stay up straight. Despite ruining his hair, it didn't bother Clover for he was too busy processing just how close Qrow had gotten, and how his fingers continued to grip onto the blanket wrapped around Clover's upper body tightly.

Qrow was busy fiddling with the ends of the blanket before letting go. Without another word, he walked away, presumably to take stock of their supplies. 

Clover was left to process it all, his own hands touching the blanket to keep it from slipping off his shoulders. Soon, a goofy smile formed on his face, chuckling so softly it could be mistaken for a scoff. What can't be mistaken, is how warm and red his cheeks got. 


End file.
